Hello Hurricane

The past month has been long and difficult.. but it has been so wonderful as well. I can see how the Devil has been trying to get me down, but like Switchfoot puts it, you can´t silence my love! I keep persevering and the Lord is so good. I feel so much better than i have for the past month. Im still weak, but I refuse to let illness get in the way of ministry.
Wednesday we got back to Quero, and thursday we went to teach english at the high school. That went really well, we shared about the fall of man. Tonight we have our second bible study in Independencia, Pray for that. We are also getting ready for the International World Changers to come next week. They will be here monday through thursday. It is a medical mission trip and it is much needed in this area of Peru. Start praying for next week, and i am so excited to see what God is going to do through that trip. Doctors do amazing things, but we all know that God is the ultimate Healer. I hope the doctors can help a lot of people next week, so all the glory can go to God.
There are two families here that need to majorly forgive one another, so please pray that we can some how help restore those relationships. There is only one more month, which is sort of hard to believe, but I pray and hope that my team can do all we can do to further the Kingdom´s cause! We are having difficulty finding spiritual leaders in Usibamba and San Jose de Quero, so please pray that men will step up.
My parents told me all who are praying for my health, I appreciate your prayers soooo much! My parents have always called me a bull dog, because i never give up. I refuse to give up my time of ministry in Peru due to sickness. I pray constantly for the Lord to revive me, and He has! He gives me the strength I need daily to keep loving these people and sharing His love with them. I am so thankful for this amazing opportunity to serve our God who deserves to be served!

Festival

I am Huancayo right now... in bed..sick. I got sick this past thursday night and had to stay in bed all day friday. My wonderful team prayed over me and I felt better the next few days. However, Last night I became sick again and I have had to be bedrest. But the Lord is good because Mindy was able to get me some medicine. She thinks it's probably some paracite Praise the Lord i feel better than I did last night! Better news.. San Jose de Quero had their yearly festival this past weekend. We were not able to do a whole lot of ministry due to most people being drunk. However, we were able to build relationships just being out there with the people. I watched the children do their traditional dances, and then a young boy that I have become close to wanted me to dance.. so we all started to dance. it was a lot of fun!

I felt so blessed to come to Huancayo yesterday... the first thing we did was get some food. I rushed to Pizza Hut and had some icecream. It was wonderful, then I had a warm shower! It was wonderful that the team was able to shower.. Quero doesn't have hot showers so Huancayo came at the right time for the team. Please pray for the upcoming medical mission trip coming up next week, excited to see how the Lord will work!

Girl´s night

Yesterday was a good day.. i went to Independencia and visited with some people. We shared a bible story with a lady who could not read so that was a blessing. Sarah and I had an adventure trying to make a map of Quero. Long story... then that night about 8 teenage girls came to our hostel and cooked dinner with us. they were so excited to be there. They really didn´t want to leave.. I didn´t want them to either, but I have to admit I was exhausted after that. It was a great time to minister and build relationships with the girls here in Quero.
Today the mayor is taking us to see some lakes and then we are visting once again. We are starting a new bible study in another barrio in Quero tonight. Pray for the specific study tonight!

Power of Prayer

Yesterday morning we went out to vistit house to house, and our last visit we met carolina and johnny. They are young adults, brother and sister, and we were able to share Christ with them. They became believers! They saw so much corruption among the church, but we explained to them that is not what being GOd´s child is all about. I have been ill so I had to rest for a few hours, but the Lord gave me enough strength to go out again that afternoonl. 3 of us went around prayer walking, but did not have much luck with talking to people around. So we just prayered that God would give us an opportunity to share with someone. Well not much longer after that, we saw a group of women with their children sitting on the corner of the street near our hostel. We shared with them and all wanted to believe in the Lord! there were like 33 of them all together. Praise God for answering prayers!!!

Today 3 of us are going to Independencia to their elementry school to share Christ´s love with the children. Pray that they will be focused on the story. then we will make more house visits, and try to disciple the believers.

Great things are happening

Yesterday was an incredible day. I taught two english classes and the children were wonderful. We then went to the outskirts of Quero to invite people to the bible study we were starting that night. We had no expectations, but the room was filled with children, young adults and older adults! I talked to two cousins who were about my age, janet and betsamia..i know i spelled that wrong... they invited the team to breakfest. We went this morning and it was so humbling! They fed us so much when they had so little. Please pray for janets mom, because she is sick, and pray for her dad because he is in Iraq right now. Great things are happening in Peru! We are about to head to Usibamba and eat lunch with a new believer, then we are going to make some house visits. Thank you for your prayers!

Making it!

The other night I got a little sick but the Lord is helping me! I am feeling so much better today, and I pray that tomorrow I can go at full speed again. Tomorrow we start teaching english at the school in San Jose de Quero. We are making our teaching plans tonight, so please pray that God will guide our thoughts as we prepare. There are so forgiveness issues that need to be worked out if possible while we are here. Pray that God will soften the hearts of the people we reach out to.
This morning I went and had my quiet time at the river overlooking the beautiful mountains. A few minutes into my quiet time I saw a man herding his cows and sheep. I love how simple life is here and how hard working the people are. They teach me a lot. It was such a refreshment to read the Word by the river this morning, and I could feel the Lord renewing my spirit. So tomorrow we are teaching then making visits. We also have a bible study that night, so be praying for that. Friday Sarah, Erika and I are teaching again at the school and making more visits. Saturday we are going to Usibamba to disciple some new believers and having a bible study in Quero that night. Please just pray that we can keep connecting with these amazing people and that leaders will come forward after we leave.

Usibamba

Yesterday was another wonderful day in Peru! The team went to Usibamba for the day. 4 of us girls got there early so we started to prayer walk. We met a pastor and he interviewed us on the radio... that was pretty awesome! Then we went walking again and we stopped to talk to this young woman outside sitting with her child. We started telling her the story of the Lord from creation to Christ rising from the dead. She didn´t know how to get to heaven, so Sarah did an awesome job explaining to her. After that another man was saved! Then our own taxi driver on the way back from Usibamba was saved as well! so we all have 3 new brothers and sister in Christ!!! Be pumped!!! What a glorious day for the Kingdom!
Today we are going to make a few visits with some villagers and try to make as many connections as we possibly can. Begin to pray for leaders to step up in the towns we are discipling... we are only here for a few months so we are wanting to have at least one leader per village before we leave. The bible study Saturday was really awesome, they are so thristy for the word. It puts me to shame. I am learning from them how to always be wanting more biblical knowledge and to be more thankful for I have back in the states. I am not sure who all is reading this, but be THANKFUL! I cannot stress enough of how much we are blessed in America. Many of the homeless people in Greenville, SC have more than ones in Peru and around the world. The children always want us to give them some of our water, you know why.. because they do have the fresh water that we do in America. Please keep praying for these people.. pray that they fully understand that they need to be spiritually thristy before they think about their physical thirst.
Am I comfortable.. that´s a laugh.. but once again i am sleeping on a bed while those around me are not all the time. SO I am still sooo blessed to be living in Peru for 2 months!! Thank you for your prayers

so much to do!

I am really excited, because now we are officially by ourselves with the work of the Lord. There is a lot to do... we are trying to build relationships in not only San Jose but in a few others around as well. I was able to share my testimony last night in this tiny church. that was a true blessing.

Yesterday we visited a few ladies, and I was humbled. The first lady, Berta, had so much pain in her legs. You can hear that pain in her soft voice. Then we visited a few other ladies... one very old woman, who we call yoda, was so sweet! She had nothing, and she told us how much she has suffered. Yet she had hope in that she will be in Heaven one day. Her hands told her story, they were so rough, and you could tell how much she has gone through.

We also went to the market yesterday, it will be our wal mart for the next few months. It was amazing to see. I will take pictures next Friday, it was a little disturbing to watch our chicken be cut in front of us. But boy was it good that night!

We have a lot of ground to cover and little time to do it in, so please pray that the Lord will show us where the fruit is.

First Day

I am in San Jose de Quero now... yesterday was pretty amazing! We were going to make a few home visits but God gave us the village in our backyard. They were all in the plaza, getting identification cards for their children. I was able to lead an older man in the salvation prayer. He said that he knows Christ is the Son of God, but never proclaimed it outloud. Then I played with the children and we told them a few bible stories. All in all 4 people were saved yesterday! what a great day! It was def the Lord working, because the missionaries told us that this never happens,people in the plaza, unless it´s a festival.
Today we are prayer walking and making some home visits, excited to see what God has planned out!

Traveling through the Peruvian Mountains

We had an 8 hour bus ride to Hanciayo today... it really wasn´t too bad, I was so tired that I slept most of the way. This city is very humble, like most of Peru, but it is a lot larger than San Jose de Quero. We are extremely high up, so please pray for the teams health. We are going even higher up tomorrow, over 13000 ft. Our bodies will adjust in a few weeks hopefully!
Yesterday we all met the translators for the summer. They were all so precious and kind... Moses and Momma G. are our translators. They are great, last night Moses and I played checkers and Luno. (i won ;) ). Momma G is older and so sweet!
Thank you for the prayers!

Last day in Lima

This week has been spectacular! I have throughly enjoyed getting to know my team and the other teams that are serving this summer. Yesterday we did some more training, and then we went to their big grocery store named Wong. Well that was quite the experience! This 83 year old man came up to me and asked me to dance with him (there was a guy playing the piano in the middle of the store). It was sooo funny! He was the most precious old man I have met in a very long time.

This morning we are going to meet our translators and practice speaking with them. We are going to have 2 translators since we are a team of 7. Then we will have a cookout lunch, getting to know them more. The translators will be staying and traveling with us wherever we go. I know they will be a blessing!

One team, Sam and Daniel, went out yesterday to the jungle, and another team is leaving tonight. We are leaving Sunday, but will not get to our village until Monday.

One way God has already blessed us is with our team unity. We are already starting to have community among us, because each of us realize how important that is to get through the summer. We are wanting to do devotions everyday, and memorize a large hunk of scripture during the next two months.

Well I better be getting ready for the day! Thank you for your prayers, and I will update as soon as I am able.

Waiting...

I only have 2 more days in the city of Lima! It really has been an awesome week with all of the teams. We have grown so close in just a few days, but I am completely ready to get to the village. I know training is important though, so I am waiting patiently. Please keep praying for the village of San Jose de Quero and for myself as I prepare to go.

first days in Peru!!!

So I am here in Lima, Peru until Sunday. It truly is a beautiful place, and I will be leaving Lima for 8 hour trip to San Jose de Quero! My team is wonderful and i am looking forward to working with them this summer. We will be doing a lot of disciplship with the villagers. There is not a open church there, the one church stays locked. A priest comes once in a blue moon to preach, but that is rare. Please keep praying for me as I prepare myself to go to my village. I am super excited to see what God is going to do in San Jose de Quero!!!

Another Adventure :)

I am really looking forward to what the Lord will do in my life this summer. He is sending me to Peru for the whole summer, and I cannot wait! I am ready to go now, but it's a good thing I have a month to prepare myself mentally, physically, and most importantly, spiritually.
I am having to step out on faith that God will provide for me to go, and that I will be used solely this summer to glorify Him. I have no clue what I will be doing, but being flexible is my main vocabulary word. I realized last summer that without flexibility, I will drive myself crazy.
Thank You God for using me to glorify Your name. It truly is a remarkable privilege to be used by You!!!