Lots of thoughts

 Every week we drive to a place that is about an hour away to teach English, and we always pass by this area where there are just a ton of lights lit up for miles. It is so beautiful.  It just seems to go for miles and miles where you can see so many houses represented by one little light. Every week without fail I am reminded of "A City on a hill", and the light that Jesus calls us to be.  This particular ministry spot has proven to be difficult and it seems like our objective has changed 100 times, but I am always reminded on the drive that I am called to the the shining city on a hill.

 Matthew 5:14 "  You are the light of the world a city on a hill cannot be hidden"

 We have such a responsibility to let our lights shine brightly.  In this day and time when the light is blurred, dusty, and dim, we must continue to shine. When Christ is illuminated in our hearts, He shines so brightly that even people in the valley and in the darkness can look and see that there is something more than darkness.  The actions in our every day lives matter, people are watching.
 There have been times, when I just didn't want to teach English. I just didn't feel equipped to handle a class of 25 very basic English speakers.  However, when I applied my best abilities, Jesus illuminated himself in my life, and has been faithful to show himself through me!  I know it doesn't seem very profound, but I am reminded of this every week. Reminded of the responsibility that we have as believers to be different and let our lives shine radiantly just like these little towns in the picture. It is really one of the most beautiful things that I think I have seen while I have been here in Peru.

 "Shine make them wonder what you got,
 make them wish that they were not on the outside looking bored
 Shine let it shine before all men,
let them see good works and then
 let them glorify the Lord. " - Newboys

-CR

Just Walk

Last week we took a trip up to the mountains. It was a great time with the team and some other friends. We were about 11,000 ft up, which was a totally new experience for me! It was on the agenda for us to go on a hike one day. Technically when you go up to that kind of elevation, you are supposed to spend a couple days before you hike, but since we were only there for a couple of days we needed to make the most of our time! .. Just in case you were wondering.. Breathing really isn't that important.

Generally, I am not an avid hiker. As a matter of fact, when the word is mentioned I cringe a little. I had been sick the day before, so I wasn't super enthused to go, but I knew that the other girls really wanted to go so I decided to suck it up.  I knew that it would be worth it and beautiful in the end. 

Have you ever been on a journey like that ?  You really wanted to get to the top, but the path there wasn't super ideal? So many times I think.. If I just know the route and I know what to expect then it will be easier because I can pace myself.  There is just something about looking up a daunting mountain thinking.. oh my gosh... I have to climb up this and I have no idea how long it is going to take. It looks really steep and it doesn't even look possible. 

 I think so many times we just back away from opportunities because they just look impossible. .. 

Anyways, here I am..walking up this mountain at 11,000 ft. We were about halfway up when we decided to take a "short cut" a little off the beaten path. It was literally vertical.. in the rocks and dirt.  In my head I was gripping.. UGHH... huffing and puffing... SERIOUSLY. There was no stopping point in sight. I was so focused on getting to the top of the mountain and looking at the end goal that I was not focused on the steps that were at hand.  I  had a baseball cap on and I pulled it down so that I could only see  Carissa's  feet in front of me... I guess it was a little like blinders that a horse wears. Just one foot in front of the other.. just follow the steps that she takes in front of me. It made it so much easier to just walk and not anticipate what was coming or the journey that was ahead of us.. Just walk..  

When we focus on Jesus in front of us, we are a lot less likely to be distracted. Less likely to quit... Less likely that we will psych ourselves out..  When we were climbing up that really steep part I envisioned our path to be straight up, but just when I thought I had the path figured out.. Our guide would make a turn to the left or right. It was just enough to lighten the load of the hike.. It never got easy, but it was just enough relief to give me hope that maybe we would eventually make it up to the top. It always took me by surprise because I thought I had the path figured out.  (Don't ever assume you have the path figured out.. you'll always be on an adventure with Jesus).

 What if I hadn't followed? What if I decided to quit because I knew the path, and I knew it wasn't going to get easier? I would have missed out . I wouldn't have gotten to see the beautiful view overlooking San Luis and the highest peaks still covered in snow. The victory that surges your body as you arrive at the top makes you feel like you are on top of the world, and it is priceless (maybe a little mix of adrenaline too).  Standing on the top of that mountain and seeing a new side of God's handiwork is really just another glimpse of our creator and his indescribable beauty displayed through the nations. 

There is something to this whole thing about putting your head down and walking. Just focusing on the next step. It's important to trust and just enjoy the journey.  Stop trying to figure out when you will be finished and start thinking about this step and what you are supposed to be learning.  Sometimes this means that we have to put our blinders on.. They aren't always put on for us. There are times when we have to make the choice to put them on and trust the person leading us! This can be an act of faith on it's own .Making the choice to stop listening to all the things that grab our attention and discourage us  is pivotal to our walk. It could determine whether you will make it to the top of the mountain.

There is a season for everything. A season to embark, A season to climb, A season to question, A season to endure, and A season to rejoice in victory in Jesus.  Put on your baseball cap and maybe even your rain jacket hood and Just walk up the mountain trusting your guide, OUR GOD, the One who works all things for your good when you commit your way to honoring him!... by the way we made it to the top!

-CR

A Shining Star

 Today I was sitting on the bus, and I happened to look up at the sky. It was dark and I noticed that I didn't see any stars.  I hadn't spent very much time noticing this since we had been here, but tonight I realized that I really missed seeing the stars in the sky.  They are just such a fun little glimmer of hope and a very beautiful reminder of God's intricacies.... So naturally I started thinking and God gave me a thought. ( I am starting to realize that God uses the bus time to talk to me)
 The past couple of days I have been reading  in 1 Chronicles.  I really don't know if I have ever spent time reading in this book before now, but let me tell you that I am LOVING IT.  (Since I have come to Peru, God has given me a new thirst for scripture!) Anyways... back to the point..  I have been reading about David. Once I got past the 9 billion chapters of genelogy, I got to the part about David. I am so impressed with David.  I know he made mistakes, but he was a great king. The desire that he had to please God was so intense. He desired so much that every move he made  would be honoring to God. He wasn't satisfied just being normal or neutral. He had a fervor that surpassed anything else that he wanted for his life.  He was a star, and he shined really bright.
 Lima is a very cloudy city, and at night I guess there is just so much smog that you can't see the stars. I know that they are there, but they just aren't quite as magical when you can not see them.  This is the same way in our lives as Christians. I know there are shining stars, but so often they just get covered up by all the people who say their lives belong to Christ, yet nothing about their lives resemble the call that Christ has given to us.  Sometimes I get weary, and I just want to be refreshed. I wonder sometimes if I am crazy. Sometimes I have those thoughts when I think about the ways that Jesus is changing my life, and I am like.. woah.. this is crazy.  I feel so abnormal.  However, the last couple of days, as I have been reading about David, I have been reminded that there have been many others who have walked before me living crazy abnormal lives for Jesus.  I wanted to share some of the things that I have learned and I hope that you are encouraged by this.  I have been reminded so many times just how MIGHTY and POWERFUL Jesus was and still is!!!!!
 So here I go :

1) 1 Chronicles 12:22 " For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army like an army of God."  I really loved this verse. If you read the verses before this one it talks about all of these people just coming to join David, and it was not just some people.  It was  A LOT of people, and I just kept thinking about how God orchestrated that.  God was working in each of their lives to bring them to David. I think about how God does things in our lives today and orchestrates things in our lives that we are so dumbfounded by, yet they are so much smaller than this.  The last part of the verse says it was a great army.. like an army of God.. They knew that only God could have done this. I would have liked to have been there just to experience this huge gathering of people who longed to be a part of what David was doing, because they knew how BIG his God was.

2) This leads me to my second point. In 12:33 it says" ...Equipped for battle with all the weapons of war to help David with singleness of purpose"  David had one purpose... many military purposes, but one overall purpose.  He was there to be an agent. An agent for God to display his power through! It was so important to be united. I can only imagine if all of these hundreds of thousands of people had come and just started to wage war on different areas.. I have a feeling that they would have all been conquered very quickly by the militaries that were organized, but when they went as one strong force they were able to overcome so much more. So many times in our lives we forget to unite ourselves with the believers around us. When I say unite.. I don't just mean to fellowship, I mean to really unite our hearts with one spirit and purpose.  Think about how unstoppable we would be if we united our hearts together and committed to make Jesus our number one priority regardless of all the things in our lives that seem to divide us.... Unstoppable right?.... Just like David's Army. Not just because we are great, but because we have the unstoppable one on our side!
 "All these men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with full intent to make David King over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king."- 1 Chronicles 12:38

3) 1 Chronicles 14:12 " And they left their gods there, David gave command and they were burned."  David was after God's glory alone.  I am sure those statues were valuable.. They may have had some  gold or bronze or something that David could have used for building the temple later on. However, David knew that he had to be focused on the the main thing! There was not anything that could remain that had taken the worship away from the one HOLY god.

4)1 Chronicles 14:14 "And when David again inquired of God... " I loved this... There has been so many times that I have failed to consult God about something for a second time.  David had just  been given the go ahead to fight a battle by God, and God gave them victory.  If I was in charge I probably would have just assumed that since God allowed me to win the last battle that he was going to let me win the next one. However, David wasn't so presumptuous.  He understood the responsibility that he has be given by God to lead God's people, and  he continually took each decision to God asking for guidance in every situation.  James 1:5 " If anyone lacks wisdom let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach and it will be given to him " David didn't assume that he knew God's plan for his people. David understood the importance of continually giving back to God what God had allowed David to a be a steward of.

5) 1 Chronicles17:18-20, "And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant. For your servant's sake, O Lord and according to your own heart you have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. There is none like you O lord and there is no God besides you according to all that we have heard with our ears."
David has yet to forget who God really is! David has had so much success so quickly. He has made huge strides, yet he has continued to give God all the glory.  I struggle with this so much. I feel like it is a never ending battle dying to myself and letting God take the glory in every situation.  This is such a great reminder that we are defined by Christ. We are not defined in our winning or losing efforts, but solely in our identity as a child of God.  I don't have to take pride in my efforts when I am found securely in the arms of Christ.  Remember this next time you begin to boast in your own arrogance.

6) Last thing 1 Chronicles 21:17 ".....Please O'LORD my God, be against me and against my father's house. But do not let the plague be on your people."  David messed up and I know this isn't the first time or the last, but that isn't what I want to dwell on. In this chapter, it seems like after David sinned, he almost immediately turned to God and asked for forgiveness. I think this is such a important reminder as well. How many times do we mess and we let it sit for days and days, because we are afraid to go to God ? The longer that we delay this process the more the space is wedged between you and God.  Deal with your sin quickly and honestly. This is the best way to correct your path and continue to walk the path that He has laid out for you! Be vigilant when dealing with your sin.  Last of all, remember that your sin does not only affect you, but it always has an effect on someone else. Many men of Israel lost their lives because David lied, and in this verse you can see the remorse that David had for his sin.  It was a lesson learned the hard way, but thankfully we have the opportunity to make a different choice.
I would encourage you to go through and read this book, when you read it all together you really get the whole picture of who God is and how mighty HE is. I am sure that I have not given it justice, but go read it for yourself and let God reveal his greatness to you!
The Lord was with David, and the Lord gave David so many victories.  Be Encouraged to live extravagantly for Jesus. We may be weird, but we are called to be shining stars. It is worth it.  You never know the encouragement that your life may be to another believer who is pondering if Jesus is worth living extravagantly for. .. Jesus is worth it.  You aren't crazy in the eyes of Jesus. Give him EVERYTHING you have.. EVERY MOMENT of EVERY DAY.

-CR

Boldness

 Hello friends!
Have you ever had that moment when you were trying to say you were hungry, but what you actually said was that you wanted a man!.. Yep that happened to me. Unfortunately everyone still remembers AND reminds me each time we see each other.. I think that you would get the word hombre and hambre really mixed up too.
The last couple of weeks have been really busy! We have settled in to some what of a routine! We have made some really great friends and have begun to build relationships with them!  I miss home, but as many of you know I have a box of cards that my friends and family put together for me a couple of months ago! Those cards have been so amazing! Many days the verses will coincide with the exact situation I may be facing that day, but when I look up at the date it was written in June or July! The Lord is so faithful! He cares about each detail in our lives!  It has been very humbling to serve such a MIGHTY God!
I have a story that I want to share with you! It happened last week, but I haven't been able
 to stop thinking about it. I thought that might mean that I should share it with you! So I hope you enjoy!
Almost everyday we travel around the city by buses. Many times they are really crowded and full of people just trying to get home after a busy day of work, or to the next lunch meeting! It is a common practice for men and women to get on the bus at each stop and attempt to sale some chocolates, peanuts, or pens. It is also common for  people to get on the bus and tell a sad story to try to get people to give them money.  When they stand at the front of the bus they often mumble, hang their head low, and look ashamed. However, one day I was on the bus, and a man came on the bus. He was slightly taller than most of the peruvians, and he began speaking. Immediately when he started to speak he got my attention. There was something about the way his voice sounded that compelled me to look up at him. I listened to see if I could understand what he was saying, and I began to catch small phrases.  He was speaking with such boldness.  He was speaking loud and he believed every word that came out of his mouth as if his life depended on it. Little did I know that his life really did depend on it! I gathered that he was talking about Jesus. He was sharing the story about how Christ radically changed his life. I looked over at Gina and I asked her if she could tell me specifically what he was saying. This is what she said
" He says he was a drug addict. He was on the streets and he lost everything. He tried so many times to break his addiction, but he failed. He lost his family. He lost his home. He didn't have a job or anything else. He ended up in jail.  He said that the doctors told him that his addiction to the drugs was so strong that he would never be able to detox.  Then he met Jesus Christ.  He said that Jesus radically changed him. He broke his addiction to the drugs and he was set free! He said that Jesus Christ had the power to change any one's situation! He told us that  the bible says that if a man doesn't work he doesn't eat, and so he is on the bus trying to provide for his wife and child. Now that he has earned their trust back he is doing the best of his ability to provide for them!"
 I was just astounded. I normally just pray for them or tune them out, but this man was different!  His story was so compelling! He was just on the bus trying to provide for his family, yet he was doing so much more! He was sharing with others what Jesus Christ has the power to do! We have a lot to learn from this man.  I was encouraged simply by the way he spoke. So many times we try to sugar coat the gospel. We try to tip toe around what might offend other people. However,  I think we are holding the piercing words of scripture in our heart afraid of losing a relationship. When in reality I think that we are holding back words that could give them life! When we believe in what Jesus has done for us....When we have told God and others that we are devoting our lives to christ, we must follow that up by speaking BOLDLY! I am not telling you to stay on a street corner and condemn others, but I am asking you to share and speak the message that brings life.  Speak boldly about the way the Christ has changed your life . Don't stand at the front of the bus with your head down mumbling about why people should give you money. Present your words with passion (Not sugar) that captivate the listener's attention! This is the way that we start to accomplish the one mission we are called to!

Speak in boldness when you have plenty- " You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone O'Lord make me dwell in safety!" Psalm 4:7-8

Speak in boldness when you are unsure!
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding " Proverbs 3:5
"Trust in Him at all times, O people pour out your heart before him; God is our refuge!
"Have I not commanded you, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be dismayed or frightened for the Lord God is with me wherever I go" - Joshua 1:9

Speak in boldness when you are unequipped!
"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common mean, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus" Acts 4:13

Lead me

  Hola Chicos! I have to preface this by saying, it is really late, and we have had a really full day of activities. My brain is pretty much mush at this point, but I really want to write this while it is fresh on my mind.
Since I have been in Peru, I have noticed something that  keeps happening. The first time that I saw it was the second week that we were here. We were downtown in the midst of traffic. We were walking along with the busy pace, when I noticed there was a blind lady who was crossing the street ahead of me. As you can imagine crossing a street can become quite a task, but just trust me..it's a big ordeal. A lady had grabbed her hand and helped her across. Once they crossed, the lady left the blind woman to carry on her way.. I immediately noticed that the blind lady needed to cross the street again, but this time instead of someone coming up and helping her, she was on her own.  She blindly stepped off the curb in to the street where there were cars, buses, taxis all whizzing past. She had her stick that allowed her to feel a few feet in front of her, but that was all. One of the ladies that was with us went up and grabbed her arm. Immediately the blind lady picked up her stick and tucked it in her arm and walked confidently beside Tiffany. Once we had crossed, she was on her way again until the next kind soul decided to help her out. She was back to walking small, unfamiliar steps, that lead to who knows where. When I observed what had happened I was a little taken back, and a little astounded by how much trust that lady had in others, but I didn't really give it much more thought...... Until today. Over the past couple of days I kept seeing more and more of these situations.  Today I looked at Carissa and said, "Have you noticed that there are so many blind people here?"  She looked at me a little funny and said, "No, Not really." I thought to myself that maybe I just happened the see the total population of the blind community in the last couple of weeks, or maybe my eyes were being opened to something. Maybe there was something that God was trying to teach me. As I continued to think on it throughout the day it became more obvious to me.  This is such an example of what my life is like without Jesus. When I am walking through the busy streets, some days just doing my best to figure out what the next step looks like, I do well to not get hit by a bus. How can I walk confidently when I don't know where I am going? Or when I have never walked this path before? How do I know when the road curves or when to step over the next big pot hole? I don't.  I only have a limited amount of information as to what is around. However, when you allow Jesus to come and swoop up your arm things change. For me, my steps are a little more swift. My posture straightens up a little, and I can put my foot down with a little more confidence than I had previously. I KNOW....that wherever he takes me I will be safe. I know that he will not let me walk in ignorance.  He is guiding my steps and when I know that.... my posture is changed immediately, because I know who HE is. I know He is my father. I know that ALL (good, bad, and the ugly) things are working to bring me closer to him, and bring glory to his magnificent name.
The application to the lesson is endless.  Maybe He's speaking about your life? Maybe He is referring to this season, or maybe he is just talking about today and tomorrow? I do know what it looks like for you, but I know what it looks like for me.  I know that most days I probably walk around clueless as to where I am going, because I rely on my stick. I rely on what information I can gather from my surrounding, which are helpful, but not complete. I want to walk around arm and arm confidently with Jesus knowing that HE has a specific destination for me every single day.  He does and I don't want to miss out on that.
Some days, we are given the opportunity to take "the blind man"by the arm (literally or figuratively) and allow him to experience what it means to walk confidently across the street. He knows that there is danger all around, but maybe for just a few steps he can know what is feels like to walk through life confidently!

 You see, the ironic thing about all of this is this morning I was reading Jesus Calling, but I accidentally read the one from yesterday. Read what is said

 " Walk with Me along paths of trust. The most direct route between point A and Point B on your life-journey is the path of unwavering trust in me. When your faith falters, you choose a trail that meanders and takes you well out of your way. You will get to Point B eventually, but you will have lost precious time and energy. As soon as you realize you have wandered from your trust-path, look to me and whisper, "I trust you Jesus." This affirmation will help you get back on track.
The farther you roam along paths of unbelief, the harder it is to remember that I am with you. Anxious thoughts branch off in all directions, taking you farther and farther from awareness of my presence. You need to voice your trust in me frequently. This simple act of faith will keep you walking along straight paths with me. Trust in me with all your heart, and I will make your paths straight"- Sarah Young.  Jesus Calling

Isaiah 26:4 " Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, THE LORD, is the rock eternal.

Psalm 9:10 "Those who know your name will trust in your, for you, Lord have never forsaken those who seek you."

Psalm 25:4-5 " Show me your ways O Lord, Teach me your paths guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior and my hope is in you all day long."

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding In all of your ways acknowledge him and He will make your path straight."

 I hope you sense the urgency that comes with walking confidently. Our time here is short and we have an important task at hand.  Walk confidently and cover your ground.

I really hope you know that I treasure your prayers while I am here!  Keep them coming. !

-CR

Treading Steadily

    We are so ready to start our first FULL week of ministry.  We are entering into our fourth week of being here.I It seems like we have been here for a long time, but  it also feels like we still have a lot of work to do! One of my goals while I am here is to pick up on some scripture memory that I started a while ago.  Throughout the last week I have been saying it a lot, and something new stood out to me. Even though I have probably said it a million times..  it has never hit my heart this way before...

 "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, Greetings. 

Count it all joy my brothers when you face trials of various kinds

For we know that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness.

Let steadfastness have it full effect so that you may be perfect and 

complete lacking in nothing."  James 1:1-4

     Steadfastness that's the key!  This past week we finished our last week of "orientation", and I think that it was really easy for the four of us to think that it was a little unnecessary. However, not only was it full of really useful information, I think that it helped shift my mindset. The first couple of weeks that we were here we were running off of "Honeymoon" energy. I don't think that there is anything wrong with it, because it is really productive, but it isn't sustainable. I have moved past the excitement of the first week or two and then I hit this past week.  I no longer had that initial stamina that seemed supernatural, and I needed this week to know that it was gone. What do you do when you run out of Coffee (In a spiritual sense)?  This week forced me to dig down and really begin to understand that task set before me! I can't finish this with a cup of coffee.. or even a pot.

     I think this is what the book of James was trying to convey to us.  We must learn to be balanced, and let our roots grow deep... deep ... and even deeper into Jesus. Because regardless of how strong that pot of coffee was, it will never be enough to run the race of life. It will never be enough to climb mountains.  Don't you want to be perfect and complete lacking in nothing? I do. However, I also know that I am far from "lacking in nothing". So in order for my faith to be genuine and grow deep deep roots, it must be taken further than my pot of coffee will last.... And that my friends is why we can face all hard times, all defeated times, all stretching times with a confidence.We can be assured that is allowing our feet to be firmly planted in Jesus Christ, who is the only one who can provide any sort of stability in life, or overseas, or tragedy, or in overwhelming joy.

    So all that to say, I am thankful for this last week. Even though it wasn't what I thought was best, it is what was best. It allowed my caffeine high to wear off and my roots to start growing through the soil  in to the steadfastness that Jesus provides for his children. I am thankful that I can head into the next few months knowing that there are going to be some fabulous times, and some times when we feel completely overwhelmed and defeated. However, the steadfastness that we experience in him allows us to keep running, because it is never changing.

 Here is a brief run down of our schedule this week, so that you can be praying in specific ways:

 Monday- a day or preparation and planning our lessons for the week

Tuesday- We start Spanish classes, and we will be going to a village (VS) where we will hope to start some new work. We will be surveying and talking with the people in the village. Our goal is to train Advanced English Students to teach other students followed by a bible study.

Wednesday- Spanish, Girls home, and then we will be teaching English and having a bible study.

Thursday- Spanish, Teaching a health lesson, and English lessons downtown in a Quinta

Friday- Same as Thursday, just in a different Quinta

Saturday- Afternoon in a Quinta, and then hopefully we will get to go to a youth group and spend some time there!

Thank you all for your prayers! We are excited and expecting some great times this week! I am praying for God sized things to happen!

Psalm 62:8 " Trust in him at all times, O People Pour out your heart before him; God is our Refuge"

-Cayla

Good Morning!
          I can't believe I have already been here for two weeks! The days have been going by so fast as we have been taking in so many new experiences! We arrived last Tuesday pretty early in the morning and we were welcomed by our Hands On trainers.  Wednesday through Friday we spent most of the day in training! Although the days were really long, we were exposed to so much interesting material.  The Affinity team here in the America's did a great job! Here are a couple of topics that we covered:

 * What is our strategy?  We talked about how everything that we do needs to be a part of our overall goal to reach our targeted area. If it isn't strategic then we are wasting our time. This has been really helpful, because the need is so overwhelming that it is very difficult to pick and choose the things that we will invest our time and resources. Let everything that you do be strategic.

 * Are we creating something that is reproducible or creating dependency? This was a whole new world for me. How many times have I gone and imposed the American way in another country? How many times how I gone and just given a band aid to a problem that is much deeper? We must be conscious to work alongside a community or people group, instead of continuing to feed the thoughts that they can never have the right resources to do what we are doing! Everything that we do must set a model that allows nationals to take the lead. We will never be able to complete the Great Commission by sending out  missionaries from a certain organization! We must train and Equip national believers!

* Storying- This is so exciting! I had no idea that storying was going to be something that we would use! This is just one of those things that God has been preparing me to do, yet I had no idea. I went through the T4T training at my church, and I was just so excited about this methodology.  I have a lot of stories to learn!

Overall the training was a really great time! We spent a lot of time with all the Hands On students that are serving in the Americas for the next four months|! It is interesting just how quickly we became a family! Four of the students are serving in Brazil, six in Mexico, and five of us are here in Peru.  Tuesday everyone left to go to their final destinations.  For us, Tuesday was when we finally met Quentin and Gina. They took us downtown and we toured a lot of the places that we will be working over the next four months!   It looks like we are going to be very busy! Hopefully over the next week I will be able to give you a detailed list of our schedule so that you can be praying specifically for each opportunity! So far we have had a blast! The Lord has taught me so much about my desperate need for him even just in the last two weeks, but the great thing about it all is that I know that He has called me here.  Someday's I feel like  I am a Special agent with a really important task. I have some extremely important information that I need to get out, yet there are so many people that need to hear!

Here are a few things that we have done for fun!

 The Incan Market

 Friday night bus tour!

 Water park!

 IN the water tunnel!

 Please keep praying for us! We need you ! We have a very busy schedule and we are just praying that the Lord would use us! He has called us here specifically and we want to be open to his plan  for us here!  I am so thankful to be here, even on the hard days! This next week we will be planning our classes and lessons for the next couple of weeks, and then we will jump in with both feet! God gets all the Glory! Talk to you soon-

Adios!