Hello everyone. The last several posts have been from my husband. You may have been wondering where has Amanda been, is she ever going to write again? Well, here I am. ;)
I haven't been writing because I just plain didn't know what to write. You see I went to Lima, Peru last year, for one week. So to me going back this year, was sort of "routine" you could say. Up until Thursday of the 1st week I didn't feel like I was getting much out of Peru. But, God had a reason for me going to Lima again. It wasn't until Thursday night I realized that I some unresolved personal issues to work through, in order for God to work through me. I'm not going to discuss what all happened that night, because like I said it was personal; but I will say this. I am very much appreciative & thankful for Sabrina Butler. She helped me through those issues, and I thank her for caring enough for me to talk to me, and I thank her for allowing the Spirit of God to work through her towards me. THANKS SABRINA! So after Thursday night, I finally felt at peace. I hadn't felt peaceful since about the time I signed on for Peru 2009. God reminded me that He is in control, and He does have an ultimate purpose for allowing things to happen. As Romans 8:28 says, He works all things for good, to those who are called. He does everything for our good, and His glory. So once I had my pity party, and allowed God to show me things I needed to let go of life became much better. I was actually able to enjoy Peru after that night. Thank You Jesus for that.
So I guess what I want everyone to know is this. God loves you, God allows bad things to happen to you. Why? So He can be shown mighty & wonderful! Because if you allow Him, He will save you. Not just from an eternity without Him, but from sorrow, grief, anxiety, rejection, you name it! Jesus is a Healer, Counselor, Friend, SAVIOUR! Let Him be.
I will try to write again soon.
Shine for Jesus!
Amanda
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Tuesday in Lima... or there abouts...
The journal that I kept while in Peru is very interesting to go back and read. I usually had time to journal the next morning about the day before. I just read what I wrote on Wednesday morning about Tuesday's events. The first few sentences read... "Well Lord, I LOVE being here in Peru. Away from my normal life. Away from the day to day of MY life. It is very peaceful when you are in the will of God. The continuous running of cars, business of traffic, running around doing ministry work, waiting and doin whatever to fill the time, it is all very peaceful." Looking back, I don't know if I have ever heard anyone describe Lima as peaceful. But that is how I felt. I remember those first few days and just knowing that this missions trip was exactly where I was suppose to be, and in that, there is peace. In my journal I talk about knowing that God was using me and being comfortable in the midst of chaos.
Ok, so now last time we talked about Monday in Lima and now I will talk about Tuesday. Funny how it works out that way, huh? So Tuesday was a good day. We went to Pat's Place. It was really my first time of understanding what God had done there. Pat's Place was a home for women to come and live and learn how to make money on their own to provide for their children and themselves. The transforming power of Jesus Christ did many great things in the women's lives that had passed through Pat's Place. We got to see dances from the children and from the ladies that lived there. These women had come from abuse and hatred. Their husband's had beaten them and abused their children. It was great to see some of these children with big grins on their faces, even though their lives early in life had been the target of the devil and his work of evil. But that is the power that Jesus can have in a life and a home when He is the head of that house. We ended up buying a few jewelry pieces before we left there Tuesday. We had a busy day and were not able to stay very long.
So shortly there after we headed back to VBS. There was a little fellow that day who was making himself a memory in my mind that brings a smile to my face. He was mean at times to the other kids, biting them and hitting them, but he really like me and well, now that I think about it, he bit me a couple of times too. When VBS started that day tho, he would jump off this little wall by the windows and into my arms. He did this several times before singing time started, and we were having a good time. Then I would tell him "One more" in Spanish and he would hold up FIVE fingers. So he would immediately leap at me, so I would have to catch him. Then I would say "No more" and he would laugh and jump again. We went back and forth with that a few times and then I just had to walk away. One of the Peruvian men that was helping went over to him to get him to jump on him so he could make Joel (that was the boys name) stop jumping and start singing. Well, Joel didn't want anything to do with that guy and pointed at me to come get him. So I did then I sat him down in a chair after he jumped again. Once Joel settled down in the chair, I found out why he was so fiesty. It wasn't long before he was asleep. He slept through most of VBS. Through the story, skit, and other things. He woke up near the end and was back at it again.
While we were there, near the end of VBS, a couple of little girls and a boy started talking to us in Spanish and we had no clue what they were saying. The ended up asking Heather to interpret to us. It was funny. The schools there in Lima and I guess most of Peru had been shut down because the swine flu was just starting to enter South America. They were asking us if it had reached the U.S. yet. We told them "YES". Then they screamed and ran away from us like we were diseased. I guess with all the hype from the H1N1 virus, they were fearful. Maybe it has been stirred up there just as much as it has here. We never watched TV there. Most of what I have heard about TV there is they have no restrictions on what they can show, so we pretty much are asked to not turn them on. Probably a good thing since watching certain shows would not help us in our missions work.
I wrote in my journal about how I pray that even with just the few days that we were there at VBS, that God would speak to those children. He loves all of us and I even pray now that God might speak to someone reading this blog. Maybe you never have truly accepted God's free gift. There is no hope in those children's world there in Peru. Just like there is no hope in our world here in America. The only hope that we have is in Jesus Christ.
Ok, so now last time we talked about Monday in Lima and now I will talk about Tuesday. Funny how it works out that way, huh? So Tuesday was a good day. We went to Pat's Place. It was really my first time of understanding what God had done there. Pat's Place was a home for women to come and live and learn how to make money on their own to provide for their children and themselves. The transforming power of Jesus Christ did many great things in the women's lives that had passed through Pat's Place. We got to see dances from the children and from the ladies that lived there. These women had come from abuse and hatred. Their husband's had beaten them and abused their children. It was great to see some of these children with big grins on their faces, even though their lives early in life had been the target of the devil and his work of evil. But that is the power that Jesus can have in a life and a home when He is the head of that house. We ended up buying a few jewelry pieces before we left there Tuesday. We had a busy day and were not able to stay very long.
So shortly there after we headed back to VBS. There was a little fellow that day who was making himself a memory in my mind that brings a smile to my face. He was mean at times to the other kids, biting them and hitting them, but he really like me and well, now that I think about it, he bit me a couple of times too. When VBS started that day tho, he would jump off this little wall by the windows and into my arms. He did this several times before singing time started, and we were having a good time. Then I would tell him "One more" in Spanish and he would hold up FIVE fingers. So he would immediately leap at me, so I would have to catch him. Then I would say "No more" and he would laugh and jump again. We went back and forth with that a few times and then I just had to walk away. One of the Peruvian men that was helping went over to him to get him to jump on him so he could make Joel (that was the boys name) stop jumping and start singing. Well, Joel didn't want anything to do with that guy and pointed at me to come get him. So I did then I sat him down in a chair after he jumped again. Once Joel settled down in the chair, I found out why he was so fiesty. It wasn't long before he was asleep. He slept through most of VBS. Through the story, skit, and other things. He woke up near the end and was back at it again.
While we were there, near the end of VBS, a couple of little girls and a boy started talking to us in Spanish and we had no clue what they were saying. The ended up asking Heather to interpret to us. It was funny. The schools there in Lima and I guess most of Peru had been shut down because the swine flu was just starting to enter South America. They were asking us if it had reached the U.S. yet. We told them "YES". Then they screamed and ran away from us like we were diseased. I guess with all the hype from the H1N1 virus, they were fearful. Maybe it has been stirred up there just as much as it has here. We never watched TV there. Most of what I have heard about TV there is they have no restrictions on what they can show, so we pretty much are asked to not turn them on. Probably a good thing since watching certain shows would not help us in our missions work.
I wrote in my journal about how I pray that even with just the few days that we were there at VBS, that God would speak to those children. He loves all of us and I even pray now that God might speak to someone reading this blog. Maybe you never have truly accepted God's free gift. There is no hope in those children's world there in Peru. Just like there is no hope in our world here in America. The only hope that we have is in Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Oh yeah, I forgot....
One more thing.
If you would like to see a sorta day by day update about our trip to Peru, just check out what Brad from Tennessee wrote on his blog while we were in Peru. It is on their church website an it is 2 pages of blogs...
http://youthimpact.all4jesus.com/blog/?p=1&y=2009&m=7
That web addy there should take you to it if ya wanna read more..
Thanks again for reading and keeping up to date with us all..
and for those of you who prayed and continue to pray for us.. we thank you because we know that God hears them...
If you would like to see a sorta day by day update about our trip to Peru, just check out what Brad from Tennessee wrote on his blog while we were in Peru. It is on their church website an it is 2 pages of blogs...
http://youthimpact.all4jesus.com/blog/?p=1&y=2009&m=7
That web addy there should take you to it if ya wanna read more..
Thanks again for reading and keeping up to date with us all..
and for those of you who prayed and continue to pray for us.. we thank you because we know that God hears them...
Continuing on....
Ok, so I got sick, work has been busy, and I have had a bunch of stuff to do so I haven't really had much time to write even tho I said I would make more time.. duh, that is me tho... You should see my journal, it does the exact same thing... Says how I am gonna start writing more and then it takes me 2 weeks or a month before I write in it again..
We arrived at the airport in Lima and got thru customs and the church from Lima greeted us, grabbed our bags and after a few minutes of "hellos", we headed to the buses. It took us about 30 minutes to get to the hotel. Traffic was heavy, but in Lima, traffic is pretty heavy 24 hours a day. Some times it is heavier than others but it is always busy. I think there are lines on the streets as lane markers but no one really pays much attention to that. Most American drivers would not make it in Peru. But then again, most Peruvian drivers wouldn't understand the way we drive here either. Honking the horn, swerving around and cutting people off are common driving practices in Peru. Anyway, so our hotel rooms are on the 4th floor at the Hotel Kuelap. By the end of the week, my legs were in better shape, but they were so tired from up and down, up and down. They only have stairs there, no elevators. Fun stuff. The bed Amanda and I slept in was not comfortable, but by the end of each day, we were very happy to lie in it to go to sleep. We remembered to bring our earplugs also. The street noise, and other work going on, is always very loud and would wake you up at all times of the night. We slept pretty good tho since we could drown everything out.
Breakfast came and went the next morning. Rolls, butter for them, usually eggs with ham (or something) in them, coffee, and hot chocolate were the staples of our morning foods. We seperated into our groups for VBS and practiced our skits. We had our VBS time in Sector 10. It was Amanda, me, Pat, Sarah, Marilee, Hunter, Lynn, and Tammy.. I think that was all of us in our group on the first week. Gabby was our interpreter the first day. Our skit that we performed for the children was the story of Herman the shepherd. Herman led his sheep to pastures and protected his sheep from predators. I played the bad wolf ( which fit me perfectly, ha ). Then it was time for the children to learn a Bible verse and then they made little sheep puppets out of lunch sacks. It was a good time.
The children there are precious. Dirty faces with messed up hair. They have a look in their eyes that you will not forget. Some or most of them have been abused in some way or another. Only God has kept them alive. One little boy had a black eye. He never smiled all three days we were there at VBS. Some of the kids came from good homes. They were dressed nicer and always looked cleaner, but I am sure they have things happen to them that no person should ever have to go through. Most girls are raped or molested before they reach 10 years old in Lima. I forget the percentage but it is very high. They have no hope outside the hope of Christ.
The eyes of the people on the street showed a lack of that hope. For the most part, the only hope I saw in anyone's eyes, was from those that were a part of the church. Not just the building but the true church body of Christ. There was a look in there eyes of past abuse, yes, some even looked sad or angry at times, but behind there eyes was love. They were not empty inside. One lady in particular stands out to me. I saw her the first night of services at the church. She looked like she had years of abuse. But when the worship music played, she went from a somber sad look, to a look a joy and praising Jesus. It was quite a transformation. I wish you could see the picture I have in my mind right now because it would make you shed a tear of joy for her. These people truly know what a hard life is, but the love of Christ softens even the hardest. Most of what we do in America is easy compared their everyday life. We truly are a blessed nation. God, continue to show your grace upon us.
We arrived at the airport in Lima and got thru customs and the church from Lima greeted us, grabbed our bags and after a few minutes of "hellos", we headed to the buses. It took us about 30 minutes to get to the hotel. Traffic was heavy, but in Lima, traffic is pretty heavy 24 hours a day. Some times it is heavier than others but it is always busy. I think there are lines on the streets as lane markers but no one really pays much attention to that. Most American drivers would not make it in Peru. But then again, most Peruvian drivers wouldn't understand the way we drive here either. Honking the horn, swerving around and cutting people off are common driving practices in Peru. Anyway, so our hotel rooms are on the 4th floor at the Hotel Kuelap. By the end of the week, my legs were in better shape, but they were so tired from up and down, up and down. They only have stairs there, no elevators. Fun stuff. The bed Amanda and I slept in was not comfortable, but by the end of each day, we were very happy to lie in it to go to sleep. We remembered to bring our earplugs also. The street noise, and other work going on, is always very loud and would wake you up at all times of the night. We slept pretty good tho since we could drown everything out.
Breakfast came and went the next morning. Rolls, butter for them, usually eggs with ham (or something) in them, coffee, and hot chocolate were the staples of our morning foods. We seperated into our groups for VBS and practiced our skits. We had our VBS time in Sector 10. It was Amanda, me, Pat, Sarah, Marilee, Hunter, Lynn, and Tammy.. I think that was all of us in our group on the first week. Gabby was our interpreter the first day. Our skit that we performed for the children was the story of Herman the shepherd. Herman led his sheep to pastures and protected his sheep from predators. I played the bad wolf ( which fit me perfectly, ha ). Then it was time for the children to learn a Bible verse and then they made little sheep puppets out of lunch sacks. It was a good time.
The children there are precious. Dirty faces with messed up hair. They have a look in their eyes that you will not forget. Some or most of them have been abused in some way or another. Only God has kept them alive. One little boy had a black eye. He never smiled all three days we were there at VBS. Some of the kids came from good homes. They were dressed nicer and always looked cleaner, but I am sure they have things happen to them that no person should ever have to go through. Most girls are raped or molested before they reach 10 years old in Lima. I forget the percentage but it is very high. They have no hope outside the hope of Christ.
The eyes of the people on the street showed a lack of that hope. For the most part, the only hope I saw in anyone's eyes, was from those that were a part of the church. Not just the building but the true church body of Christ. There was a look in there eyes of past abuse, yes, some even looked sad or angry at times, but behind there eyes was love. They were not empty inside. One lady in particular stands out to me. I saw her the first night of services at the church. She looked like she had years of abuse. But when the worship music played, she went from a somber sad look, to a look a joy and praising Jesus. It was quite a transformation. I wish you could see the picture I have in my mind right now because it would make you shed a tear of joy for her. These people truly know what a hard life is, but the love of Christ softens even the hardest. Most of what we do in America is easy compared their everyday life. We truly are a blessed nation. God, continue to show your grace upon us.
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