Friday, August 01, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Things I Did Not Expect
There are a few things I didn't expect to experience while I was in Peru. I expected a little culture shock, to be tired, to not be as clean or as sweet smelling as usual (;-P), to maybe get sick from the food (which thankfully hasn't happened yet), and to be busy (also hasn't happened yet). But I didn't expect to get electrocuted by my shower. That was a very bizarre first experience. It's happened three times sense I've been here because I've touched the top of the shower head and the knob too close to the source. By the third time I had stopped swearing thankfully and hopefully it will not happen again.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Orientation Day 2
Today I walked to work by myself and I didn't get lost! I bet I must have looked pretty weird, a blond haired, blue eyed gringa walking down the streets of Peru eating a manzana (apple). But it wasn't so bad. I got a few cat calls but with this blond hair it's not a surprise. Anyone with blond hair is seen as very strange and even if they look like they road kill they'll be whistled at.
I'm excited for day two. I have Intro to ESL, History/Philosophy of Peru Mission, Lesson Planning 1, and Class Observation. Prayers for alertness, continued boldness with God's truth (and Spanish), and trust in Him who is able to do immeasurably more then all we can ask or imagine!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Training
Today was the first day of training. It was strange because two of the other interns didn't get to Trujillo until 10:30 this morning so we didn't start until after lunch at 2:30. So I had the entire morning to myself. I jump roped in the roof (a very cook - both metaphorically and physically), had breakfast (apple and yogurt - should have eaten more), then walked to SALI. Lunch was amazing, then we went to the new Starbucks (it's taking over the world!!!) so that we wouldn't fall asleep during orientation. I hope that I'll be ok at teaching, but for now I still have a week of training and then the jungle...
Continued prayer is greatly appreciated. Pray that I'll adjust to food and that teaching is in my blood (mom's a teacher, think both grandparents were teachers - genetics is on my side), and that I will be bold in taking opportunities to witness to those around me. Consequently, pray that I will pick up on Spanish!
Grace and peace!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
First Days...
Yeah, everything is great. Great food, great people...what more do I need... I do miss my US friends though!
Friday Morning
We left at about 5 in the AM. I got to Lima at 10:47. Lost no bags, was late for no flights, and made it the Hotel. God is awesome!
Women of Cornerstone
Thursday night, the night before I left for Peru, the ladies of Cornerstone prayed for me and the other mission trips. It was pretty much amazing! Thanks everyone!
Eventually
Today was my first day at Church in Trujillo. The music was wonderful and the people are so sweet. I understood bits and pieces but for the most part I was lost. I'm praying that eventually I will start to understand. I'm a little nervous about teaching in two weeks but I have orientation and the jungle to get through first so I'll try and worry about one adventure at a time. I went to the grocery store today and it was insanity! Just one of the things I'll have to get used to!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Trujillo
Yup, that's right. I finally made it to Trujillo, and in one piece. I am thankful that I didn't lose any baggage, wasn't late for any flights, and that the hotel had a shuttle to the airport so I didn't have to pay for a taxi.
Pray for continued safety, that I would find some Dramamine for taxis and the bus I'll be taking to the jungle, and as always for God's kingdom to be advanced!
Friday, July 18, 2008
The Atlanta Airport
We're in the Atlanta airport right now waiting for my aunt and uncle to take us to lunch. Then we have to wait until my flight to Lima leaves at 5:15! Crazy long layover!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Less than a Month
It's less then one month until I go to Peru. That's a little scary. There are so many things I still have to do, like raise money, get my visa figured out, climb Mount Everest...ok, so maybe not that. But it is still a bit overwhelming. What I'm most concerned with is seeking God's direction. I want to know if this is where He wants me. But I'm coming to realize that a lot of the time, after a bunch of prayer by yourself and from you friends, you just have to trust Him and take the first step. He will guide me as I go. Thankfully I can't screw His plans up. He is sovereign and His will can't be thwarted. That's comforting to know. I can't mess up. I can go down wrong paths and make stupid decisions but in the end I am in God's hands and He will never let me go. Paul says in Romans that "neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." If that is true, then even my screw ups will not throw me out of His love.
Monday, November 13, 2006
To Him Who is Able to Keep You From Falling
Jude 1:20-25 (New International Version)
20But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
Doxology
24To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.I was reading in Jude tonight and I was overwhelmed by the amazing grace of this chapter. I had started reading and one of the verses struck me as strange at first. "Keep yourselves in God's love..." vs. 21. The first thought that came to my mind was 'Isn't it Jesus who keeps us in God's love? vs. 1 says that we are "kept by Jesus Christ", so what on earth is Jude talking about here? Well, as usual, God in His great mercy revealed to me a very awesome explanation when I read further. Jude ends his letter with a doxology. He says "To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault" vs. 24. What Jude is explaining to his audience is that God keeps believers in His love and enables them to keep themselves in His love (NIV note). It's all apart of His amazing grace: not only does Christ save us, but He also keeps us from falling and gives us the ability not to fall. What a comfort it is to know that we are always safe in His hands. What a comfort is it to know, as my pastor says, that in the hands of God we may stumble, but we will never fall. "To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! AMEN!"
~~@
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Curly Girls
This would be my mother. I'm drinking a daquri. It was really good and we had a lot of fun. If you ever wondered where I got the curly hair from, this lady is it.
Random Note 2 Peter 3:7
Though to God "a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day" Genesis was written by a human, to whom a day is a day. God is not a God of confusion: if it had taken Him (or if He decided to take) a thousand years to create each creation He would have said so. 2 Peter 3?9 isn't talking about creation anyway but God's timing in fulfilling His promises. He waits so that all His children are saved.
Short Story
darren’s crimes were heinous, but he didn’t care. he tried to overthrow the King, the man who had taken their dying country and turned it into a paradise, the man who had healed their sick, brought people to life, the man who cared for them. The King set up laws for their protection, and issued a small tax for the betterment of their country. compared to the love He had shown His small requirements should have been accepted with great enthusiasm. but in the beginning all resisted. they didn’t want to be ruled, they didn’t even believe that they were drowning slowly, dead men walking. His love turned many. but darren was too smart for that kind of ‘manipulation’. sheep, they were all sheep. so he built an army.
their first attack was on The King’s people. the crimes against them, women, children, infants, were too horrifying to even be told to The King, but He knew. their actions brought more people to The King’s side. and The King captured darren and his followers with the people’s help.
so now darren stood at the edge. in the center of the round stone room a belt waited for him. this belt contained all of the punishment the man deserved, The King’s righteous judgment, for the crimes against Himself and against His people. the belt induced a blinding, debilitating, never-ending pain.
even as it was strapped to him by the guards darren sneered. he even wished he could do more than what he did. the torture he brought on children, shouting at them to denounce The King. the burning, the terror, all of it he not only didn’t regret, he loved.
the guards left and the pain started. it shook every thought from his mind. his body fell to the ground and his ears were filled with his own screams. they were the same screams of those he had killed. he was in so much pain that when The Son of The King entered he barely noticed. He walked close to the writhing man and bent down so the two were face to face. something filled His eyes that darren did not understand. they were strange, wide, full, so unlike his own. he expected more pain, if it was even possible, but something inexplicable happened. The Son reach out and grabbed the belt. in a flash of white light darren found himself standing in the center of The Palace. no pain. his clothes were clean, white, new. and he wasn’t alone. The Son stood across from him wearing no shirt. across his midsection, where the belt would have been, the skin was black, burned. His hands were the same.
“what-?”
“I took it from you.”
“but why?”
“because I’ve chosen to love you, and I am the only one who could.”
“why-why would you love me?” something had changed in darren. it was as if he had been in a dirty room with very little air, eating rotten food, all but dead, and someone had pulled him out, cleaned him up, gave him breath, and fresh food. he felt that he had been given life.
“because I am love.”
“you are?”
“I am.”
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