Finally!!!
It seems like forever since we have written anything on here, and well, it has been. Plus, all we have talked about it how our feelings were going and the things God has done in our lives. BUT now, it is time for me to actually start talking about the trip. Might as well, right?!?! It has only been a month since we got back and still haven't written one thing about the actual trip.
We got to our church, http://www.fountainofgrace.us, on Sunday morning. We weighed all the bags and loaded them on the truck. It was a good trip to Atlanta in the van. It was Amanda, Chris (me), Hunter, Nichole (sorry Nichole if I mispell your name), Kevin, and James was our driver. Which, just as an update, the van we were in broke down when they were on their way home from the airport. There was a total of 24 of us that would be boarding the plane to Peru. If I remember correctly, we all chatted in the van the whole way up. Except there were a few attempts at naps from people.
So we get to the airport. As soon as we stopped close to the actual unloading area, boom, we all jumped out and unloaded the bags off the delivery truck. We had an assembly line goin that would make UPS proud. That much luggage was off in no time. All of us worked hard and got the job done in record time. This was just a sign of how the 1 weekers and then the 2 weekers were going to work together as one body in Christ. Unity was evident.
Then it was time for all of us to head inside. We gathered around and made sure everyone and everything was there. Then Pastor Phil went and used his gift of talking :) and Delta brought all of us over to the side and opened up a line just for us. Got us through in a short time. Well, for the Atlanta airport it was short time. So that was one way God made the trip easier for us. Think what you want, but I am saying it was God. He gives blessings to His children in all things (Matt. 7:11).
>>fast forward<<
We are sitting at the gate waiting to load. If I remember correctly the 2 from OHIO were already sitting there. This was the new church going with us. So we get to know them a little bit, and then the group shows up from Tennessee. I have heard about most of these people from others who had gone on the Peru trips and from Amanda, and they were all right in what they had told me. Take that how ya want to, but you Tenn. people are fun to be around. Luke and I struck up a friendship that I hope will last and grow over the years.
So the plane ride was quite long and pretty boring. I watched a couple of movies as Amanda slept.
Once we got to Peru, God showed up again, of course. We had everyone of our prayer partners to pray for us to have "green lights" as we went through customs. God did more than that. When the Peruvians saw all the red shirts (that was the color of our mission shirts this year), security basically said "let all the red shirts go through and skip the buttons". So only those of us who had changed shirts actually had to push the button, but we got "green lights". So God was good to us.
Ok, I have written a bunch, but I have just gotten started. I am going to stop now, but I want to make the comment of how I feel like Pastor Phil is at ROCKSTAR status with the church in Lima. Pastor Tony is too, but I will talk about his ROCKSTAR status later. The church had a big sign waiting for us when we started out the door, and there was a large group to meet us. As we were walking on our way towards the door, before we met up with the church, I saw several Peruvians get very excited and start yelling Pastor Phil's name and jumpin around and waving, and it was just interesting to see their reaction to Pastor Phil and our team showing up.
Well, just so you know, I am going to try to start writing more about our trip. There may be long blogs or short ones, but every few days I am going to start writing. Also, just so you know, all that was just the first half of the first page of my journal I kept in Peru. So I have alot to write. Amanda will be on here writing her view of things too. We were on the same trip, but I know God pointed out different things to each of us. Plus we will probably both talk about how God worked in our lives differently while we were there. He is still changing us to be more like the IMAGE of His Son, Jesus Christ.
God bless
Friday, August 28, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
ME
What do I know? I figure that since Amanda hasn't really written about Peru in any depth then neither will I, YET.. I know that my first message was a little vague on the way God has dealt with me over the past year. I will talk about it a bit more in this note.
For so many years I tried to hang on to what this world has to offer and hang on to my "Christian" life, also. Well it is impossible to do. I tried to fill my life with the things that I thought could bring happiness, joy, peace, and comfort to my own soul. I even became more involved with the church and helping out with things there thinking that would satisfy me. I was a youth leader, Sunday school teacher, played in the praise band, and pretty much did everything I could to cram God into my life. Problem is, I was doing all that to make myself feel better. I thought if I did all these good things, then it would make up for all the bad things in my life. God would love me more, or even that God would love me at all.
Since a very young age, I never really felt loved. Sure people gave love, but they couldn't fill up that spot that I felt was empty. Don't get me wrong, I became a Christian at age 5, in my backyard, in the sandbox. Jesus was my Saviour and Friend but I tried to get love from sources outside of God. Another thing that is truly impossible. Through relationships, friends, girlfriends, possessions, and even in getting married, I thought that I could finally get rid of this void of self-hatred in my life. I hated all the sins I had ever committed and tried to earn love. But I never deserved love. I saw myself as a liar, thief, hypocrit, fake, cheater, just anything you can think of, that was how I saw myself. No one could love me. I didn't deserve love.
All of that is true. I don't deserve love. None of us "deserve" any kind of love. But the Bible talks of something amazing. Romans 5:8 "But God commended His love towards us, in that, while we were yet (still) sinners, Christ died for us." This was the verse that I chose for my trip to Peru. If God can love me even when I am a filthy sinner and die for me, then He did the same for the people of Peru. He also did the same for you. The other verse that everyone knows but God has really spoke more to me over the past year with is John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but will have everlasting life."
My life and view of myself is different now. I am unlovable, but God loves me. I am a sinner, but Christ died for me. I do deserve God's punishment of hell for my sins, but my faith, that thru Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, the payment for my falling short is paid for, allows me to rejoice in the fact that I will spend all of eternity in heaven with others like me who are redeemed by the spotless Lamb's sacrifice.
So am I a little more passionate about sharing my faith? Yep, and I am not ashamed because I know who truly loves me. Peru was just the next step in that process of sharing my life and faith. Lord willing, I will be there next year doing the same thing again.... Growing in Christ....
Til next time,
God Bless YOU!! and He loves you too..
For so many years I tried to hang on to what this world has to offer and hang on to my "Christian" life, also. Well it is impossible to do. I tried to fill my life with the things that I thought could bring happiness, joy, peace, and comfort to my own soul. I even became more involved with the church and helping out with things there thinking that would satisfy me. I was a youth leader, Sunday school teacher, played in the praise band, and pretty much did everything I could to cram God into my life. Problem is, I was doing all that to make myself feel better. I thought if I did all these good things, then it would make up for all the bad things in my life. God would love me more, or even that God would love me at all.
Since a very young age, I never really felt loved. Sure people gave love, but they couldn't fill up that spot that I felt was empty. Don't get me wrong, I became a Christian at age 5, in my backyard, in the sandbox. Jesus was my Saviour and Friend but I tried to get love from sources outside of God. Another thing that is truly impossible. Through relationships, friends, girlfriends, possessions, and even in getting married, I thought that I could finally get rid of this void of self-hatred in my life. I hated all the sins I had ever committed and tried to earn love. But I never deserved love. I saw myself as a liar, thief, hypocrit, fake, cheater, just anything you can think of, that was how I saw myself. No one could love me. I didn't deserve love.
All of that is true. I don't deserve love. None of us "deserve" any kind of love. But the Bible talks of something amazing. Romans 5:8 "But God commended His love towards us, in that, while we were yet (still) sinners, Christ died for us." This was the verse that I chose for my trip to Peru. If God can love me even when I am a filthy sinner and die for me, then He did the same for the people of Peru. He also did the same for you. The other verse that everyone knows but God has really spoke more to me over the past year with is John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but will have everlasting life."
My life and view of myself is different now. I am unlovable, but God loves me. I am a sinner, but Christ died for me. I do deserve God's punishment of hell for my sins, but my faith, that thru Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, the payment for my falling short is paid for, allows me to rejoice in the fact that I will spend all of eternity in heaven with others like me who are redeemed by the spotless Lamb's sacrifice.
So am I a little more passionate about sharing my faith? Yep, and I am not ashamed because I know who truly loves me. Peru was just the next step in that process of sharing my life and faith. Lord willing, I will be there next year doing the same thing again.... Growing in Christ....
Til next time,
God Bless YOU!! and He loves you too..
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Faithful
Well we've had this blog for a week or two, but have yet to really write much about Peru. I hope you all have taken the time to look at our pictures, they really do describe Peru much better than I could with words. Hopefully we'll have even more pictures once we "get" some from our dear friend Tabitha.
I'd like to share a little of how God brought me to Peru. For years I have always thought that foreign missions was for others, and not for me. The little portion of scripture Matt 28:18 where Jesus says to go into all the world, well that didn't apply to me. I was just fine staying here in Alabama being a witness to my family, friends, co workers, etc. I might go on a mission trip in the States, but not overseas.
My life verse is Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts I have towards you, says the Lord. Thoughts of peace not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." The reason this is my life verse is because so many times in my life, MY plans, MY thoughts, have been changed. You see as you follow Jesus His plans become yours, His desires become yours, His thoughts become yours. This happens only if your first die daily to yourself, and pick up His cross to walk out this life. But I digress, the point is MY plans were changed.
Ever since coming to Fountain of Grace church, and hearing about them going every summer to Peru I knew I was supposed to go. Again, my plans & thoughts were keeping me from going. But that all changed. In December 2007, we were in Gatlinburg on youth retreat. One of the girls played a video she had made of Peru that summer. My heart was hearing, "this year you'll be there." Then one of the guys came up to me and said, "You should go to Peru." Then later in the evening Pastor Phil mentioned that I should go to Peru. They all thought they were just making conversation, but really the Holy Spirit was making a point to me. So after a couple of years of ignoring the Lord about Peru, I finally gave in. I knew He wanted me to go. In early 2008 I came to the point of surrender. I surrendered my plans, my desires, for the Lord Jesus. As I was praying one day, I came to a point of realization. This is not my life. Yes, I am the one living it, but God is the one who gave me life. Both physical & spiritual. So I had to surrender my life over to Him. I even have written in my Bible, This is not my life Lord's but Yours! So part of my surrendering of my life to Jesus was going to Peru.
I went to Lima, Peru for 1 week in 2008. It was absolutely wonderful! So wonderful I wanted to come back in 2009. And I wanted to come for 2 weeks, because Pastor Phil said we were going to the jungle in 2009. And I wanted my husband Chris to come with me. He didn't go in 2008, and I missed him terribly. I came back to the States, and life resumed. In the fall life became very difficult as me & Chris had to walk down a long, hard, tough road together. I didn't know about Peru 2009 anymore. I didn't want to think about it,nor did I have the strength to think that far in the future.
But God is faithful. You see I believe whole heartedly God called me to missions in Peru. That is just where he has designed for my church (including me) to go. Other churches, and individuals He calls elsewhere. But He wants the whole world to hear the gospel. And God wanted me & Chris to go to Peru this year. Remember, I said that I surrendered my plans, desires, and life to the Lord. Well, I thought that maybe Chris & I shouldn't worry with Peru, but try to work on us here in the States. But God used Peru to help restore & heal our marriage. He gave us a wonderful 5th anniversary while down there (I'll share more on that later). But I realized when making the decision to follow the Lord to Peru what better way to celebrate 5 years of marriage than on a mission trip. What better way for healing & restoration than with a mission trip. So Peru was more than a mission trip. It was healing. Healing took place both in preparing for the trip and in the actual trip itself. I am very thankful to God for His ways that are higher, and His perfect plans & thoughts.
One more thing on God's faithfulness. I have been living by this verse for quite a while too. 1 Thess 5:24 "Faithful is He who called You, who also will do it". God called me to Peru. He made it happen. Last summer I knew I was to come back for two weeks, and with my husband. God made it happen. He brought Chris to the place where He felt led to go, and he brought in the money. The money was a big deal. For the two of us to go for two weeks it cost $4600. That is a lot of money!!! But God brought it all in. Yes, Chris & I gave some of our money. But most of it came from others, and fundraisers! Praise the Lord!
I just want you to know God is faithful. He will never leave nor forsake you. When He calls you to something He will finish it!
I hope this all makes sense to you. Sorry if I seemed to be rambling. It's just hard to put into words all that He has done for me. I know this blog wasn't really about Peru, but it's something I wanted to share with you. I will try to write more about our time in Peru later.
God bless you. Have a Jesus filled day!
Amanda
I'd like to share a little of how God brought me to Peru. For years I have always thought that foreign missions was for others, and not for me. The little portion of scripture Matt 28:18 where Jesus says to go into all the world, well that didn't apply to me. I was just fine staying here in Alabama being a witness to my family, friends, co workers, etc. I might go on a mission trip in the States, but not overseas.
My life verse is Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts I have towards you, says the Lord. Thoughts of peace not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." The reason this is my life verse is because so many times in my life, MY plans, MY thoughts, have been changed. You see as you follow Jesus His plans become yours, His desires become yours, His thoughts become yours. This happens only if your first die daily to yourself, and pick up His cross to walk out this life. But I digress, the point is MY plans were changed.
Ever since coming to Fountain of Grace church, and hearing about them going every summer to Peru I knew I was supposed to go. Again, my plans & thoughts were keeping me from going. But that all changed. In December 2007, we were in Gatlinburg on youth retreat. One of the girls played a video she had made of Peru that summer. My heart was hearing, "this year you'll be there." Then one of the guys came up to me and said, "You should go to Peru." Then later in the evening Pastor Phil mentioned that I should go to Peru. They all thought they were just making conversation, but really the Holy Spirit was making a point to me. So after a couple of years of ignoring the Lord about Peru, I finally gave in. I knew He wanted me to go. In early 2008 I came to the point of surrender. I surrendered my plans, my desires, for the Lord Jesus. As I was praying one day, I came to a point of realization. This is not my life. Yes, I am the one living it, but God is the one who gave me life. Both physical & spiritual. So I had to surrender my life over to Him. I even have written in my Bible, This is not my life Lord's but Yours! So part of my surrendering of my life to Jesus was going to Peru.
I went to Lima, Peru for 1 week in 2008. It was absolutely wonderful! So wonderful I wanted to come back in 2009. And I wanted to come for 2 weeks, because Pastor Phil said we were going to the jungle in 2009. And I wanted my husband Chris to come with me. He didn't go in 2008, and I missed him terribly. I came back to the States, and life resumed. In the fall life became very difficult as me & Chris had to walk down a long, hard, tough road together. I didn't know about Peru 2009 anymore. I didn't want to think about it,nor did I have the strength to think that far in the future.
But God is faithful. You see I believe whole heartedly God called me to missions in Peru. That is just where he has designed for my church (including me) to go. Other churches, and individuals He calls elsewhere. But He wants the whole world to hear the gospel. And God wanted me & Chris to go to Peru this year. Remember, I said that I surrendered my plans, desires, and life to the Lord. Well, I thought that maybe Chris & I shouldn't worry with Peru, but try to work on us here in the States. But God used Peru to help restore & heal our marriage. He gave us a wonderful 5th anniversary while down there (I'll share more on that later). But I realized when making the decision to follow the Lord to Peru what better way to celebrate 5 years of marriage than on a mission trip. What better way for healing & restoration than with a mission trip. So Peru was more than a mission trip. It was healing. Healing took place both in preparing for the trip and in the actual trip itself. I am very thankful to God for His ways that are higher, and His perfect plans & thoughts.
One more thing on God's faithfulness. I have been living by this verse for quite a while too. 1 Thess 5:24 "Faithful is He who called You, who also will do it". God called me to Peru. He made it happen. Last summer I knew I was to come back for two weeks, and with my husband. God made it happen. He brought Chris to the place where He felt led to go, and he brought in the money. The money was a big deal. For the two of us to go for two weeks it cost $4600. That is a lot of money!!! But God brought it all in. Yes, Chris & I gave some of our money. But most of it came from others, and fundraisers! Praise the Lord!
I just want you to know God is faithful. He will never leave nor forsake you. When He calls you to something He will finish it!
I hope this all makes sense to you. Sorry if I seemed to be rambling. It's just hard to put into words all that He has done for me. I know this blog wasn't really about Peru, but it's something I wanted to share with you. I will try to write more about our time in Peru later.
God bless you. Have a Jesus filled day!
Amanda
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Photos
We have some photos of our trip to Peru downloaded now...
Here is the page to go look at them...
http://s752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/IamaGodfollower/Peru%202009/
There are several different categories on the left side of that page if you want to click on them and see all the different things we did while in Peru. Just click them and it will take you there..
More photos to come...
Here is the page to go look at them...
http://s752.photobucket.com/albums/xx166/IamaGodfollower/Peru%202009/
There are several different categories on the left side of that page if you want to click on them and see all the different things we did while in Peru. Just click them and it will take you there..
More photos to come...
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Thoughts on Peru
This is Chris writing this one. I have just been thinking about our trip to Peru. It wasn't a vacation. It wasn't a business trip. It was an opportunity for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be preached and lived out in our lives. God has been showing me things over the past year that have changed my life radically. I guess that is why I changed my email address to jesusfreak4sure@hotmail.com several months ago. I don't care if my friends think I am a "Christiany" type person now, because if I am serious about what Christ has done in my life then I should be a picture of Christ to others. If you want to know more about my Jesus Freak lifestyle, then feel free to write me at my email address. If you read something about our trip that you want to know more about, write and we will respond. I am putting all of the photos I can on a photobucket page (which I will post once I get more photos on it). I hope that it will show that this was a great trip where lives were truly changed. Not just the people of Peru, but those of us that went on the trip.
This was my first time outside of the United States. That plane trip was an adventure itself. Trying to fit my 6'3" and 230ish lb. frame into a plane seat for 6 to 8 hours was not something that I was looking forward to. But God got me through it. Even tho I wasn't sure if I was going to survive the plane trip back to the States, since we left Lima around midnight. But I did sleep from Panama to Key West, FL so I was able to function and not loose my mind completely.
I saw the body of Christ function as one body in unity for the purpose of helping the people of Peru and get them the gospel. Our churches from Alabama and Tennesse have been working with the churches in Lima for several years and so I can see how (humanly speaking) there would be a relationship and things could be accomplished. The true test I wanted to see was how the people we brought, and the church people from Lima, were all going to work together in the new enviroment of the church in Pucallpa. The body worked as one though. There was one vision and we saw God mesh everyone together.
Well, I am going to write more at another time... I figure that once I get some pictures of our days and nights in Lima and Pucallpa I will then write more. The pics should help explain, or at least show the work that was done. Of course I will have stories to tell of the pictures I post on here..
God bless you and shine for Christ,
Chris
This was my first time outside of the United States. That plane trip was an adventure itself. Trying to fit my 6'3" and 230ish lb. frame into a plane seat for 6 to 8 hours was not something that I was looking forward to. But God got me through it. Even tho I wasn't sure if I was going to survive the plane trip back to the States, since we left Lima around midnight. But I did sleep from Panama to Key West, FL so I was able to function and not loose my mind completely.
I saw the body of Christ function as one body in unity for the purpose of helping the people of Peru and get them the gospel. Our churches from Alabama and Tennesse have been working with the churches in Lima for several years and so I can see how (humanly speaking) there would be a relationship and things could be accomplished. The true test I wanted to see was how the people we brought, and the church people from Lima, were all going to work together in the new enviroment of the church in Pucallpa. The body worked as one though. There was one vision and we saw God mesh everyone together.
Well, I am going to write more at another time... I figure that once I get some pictures of our days and nights in Lima and Pucallpa I will then write more. The pics should help explain, or at least show the work that was done. Of course I will have stories to tell of the pictures I post on here..
God bless you and shine for Christ,
Chris
Monday, August 3, 2009
Home From Peru
Bienvenidos familia y amigos!
This is a blog designed to share our experience of Peru. We wanted to be able to share with multiple people at one time. Last year when I went to Peru I discovered that it was rather difficult to share my pictures, stories, and experiences so I figured this blog would do the trick! :)
We left for Lima, Peru on July 12,2009. We drove 3 hours from Prattville, Al to Atlanta, Ga. We had 24 people from Prattville, and about 10 from Tennessee, and 2 from Ohio. We met up at the airport, then at 5:15 p.m. we took off for Lima. We arrived safe & sound around 10:30. Peru is on central time, so there was no jet lag for us. Thank you Jesus. On Monday July 20 (Chris's 35th birthday) we flew to Pucallpa, Peru. Pucallpa is the gateway city to the jungle. All roads end (or begin, depending on your viewpoint) in Pucallpa. If you want to go further into the jungle get your hiking boots, or a boat, or plane. We left from Pucallpa back to Lima on Monday July 27. We flew out of Lima back to Atlanta on Tuesday July 28 @ 12:20 a.m. When we arrived back in Atlanta we were quite exhausted. Sleeping on a plane is rather impossible. About 3-4 hours into our flight back to Atlanta Chris looked at me and said "This is the only reason I would not go back to Peru". His knee & neck were killing him. But he has quickly forgotten that pain and is ready to go back. :) After arriving in Atlanta, we ate at a Cracker Barrell nearby for one last visit with our friends from Tennessee. Then we arrived home early that afternoon.
That is all I have for now. This first blog is really just an introduction and welcome. Chris & I are going to try hard to update often. Right now I am still contemplating and decompressing from all of the events of those two weeks. So as things come to me, and I find time I will update this blog with pictures and comments.
I do want to say thank you so much, to all of you who have supported us. Whether it be financially, prayerfully, whatever. You have been an encouragement to us, and we appreciate you so much!
Dios te bendiga!
Amanda
This is a blog designed to share our experience of Peru. We wanted to be able to share with multiple people at one time. Last year when I went to Peru I discovered that it was rather difficult to share my pictures, stories, and experiences so I figured this blog would do the trick! :)
We left for Lima, Peru on July 12,2009. We drove 3 hours from Prattville, Al to Atlanta, Ga. We had 24 people from Prattville, and about 10 from Tennessee, and 2 from Ohio. We met up at the airport, then at 5:15 p.m. we took off for Lima. We arrived safe & sound around 10:30. Peru is on central time, so there was no jet lag for us. Thank you Jesus. On Monday July 20 (Chris's 35th birthday) we flew to Pucallpa, Peru. Pucallpa is the gateway city to the jungle. All roads end (or begin, depending on your viewpoint) in Pucallpa. If you want to go further into the jungle get your hiking boots, or a boat, or plane. We left from Pucallpa back to Lima on Monday July 27. We flew out of Lima back to Atlanta on Tuesday July 28 @ 12:20 a.m. When we arrived back in Atlanta we were quite exhausted. Sleeping on a plane is rather impossible. About 3-4 hours into our flight back to Atlanta Chris looked at me and said "This is the only reason I would not go back to Peru". His knee & neck were killing him. But he has quickly forgotten that pain and is ready to go back. :) After arriving in Atlanta, we ate at a Cracker Barrell nearby for one last visit with our friends from Tennessee. Then we arrived home early that afternoon.
That is all I have for now. This first blog is really just an introduction and welcome. Chris & I are going to try hard to update often. Right now I am still contemplating and decompressing from all of the events of those two weeks. So as things come to me, and I find time I will update this blog with pictures and comments.
I do want to say thank you so much, to all of you who have supported us. Whether it be financially, prayerfully, whatever. You have been an encouragement to us, and we appreciate you so much!
Dios te bendiga!
Amanda
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