May love never end

I have to confess that most of the times on here I am letting you know all the great things have been going on and leaving out the messier, harder parts.  It's absolutely true that the Lord has provided many blessings in the last 20 days that I have spent in Peru.  But there have been some struggles and emotions that I have been working through.  And what I have found is that this time in Lima before traveling has been the Lord's time to help me found my foundation and worth in Him.

I have had more free time than I had expected.  I have been using that time to hang out and get to know my new team members, get settled in my apartment, learn the city, practice spanish, and also to talk a lot with family back home.  A few times while talking to my mom I have found myself swelling with emotion followed by a good cry.  And then right away she begins to cry as well, something that is pretty normal with my family... one cries we all cry.  Spending time with Lord and in prayer as well as talking further with my family, friends, and fellow missionaries on the field in other places.  I am so very thankful for struggle because of the lessons learned.  Now I know that if I am gonna get through this adventure, that often seems overwhelming, I am going to have to fully depend on the Lord.

These last few days have been training days as my first trip is a little over a week away!  I am so excited for what is in store in the villages.  We are specifically focusing on storying the Bible and practicing this skill daily in the city with nationals.  It has been a humbling and unique experience.  We have daily visits with women at a flower shop each day.  They are interested in our stories and willing to listen and participate.  The goal is to tell the stories to people in a way that once we leave them that they are able to understand it and take it to heart and then pass it on to others.  Please pray for the women in the flower shop that we share with daily.  Pray that the Word will penetrate and begin to change their lives and that they will want to spread what they have heard.

Pray for me in as I prepare to go out on my first trip.  That I may be bold and glorify the name of the Lord!

Mad love to all

I have been reading in 1 Corinthians 13, a chapter about love.  It spoke to me recently.  Here's a little piece of it:

"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends"

 

Blessings of new friends

It has been a crazy week!  Two new team members recently arrived, one of which is my roommate.  Her name is Brittne.  We have had tons of fun together already along with the other newbe Ryan and our housemates Kristen and Claudia.  The Lord has blessed me with some awesome folks with which I can share my experiences.  

Brittne and I spent most of this week cleaning around the house and trying to get our things unpacked and slightly organized.  We also did plenty of grocery shopping as we are eager to start cooking some of our own meals in our kitchen.  We cooked enchiladas for a group of eight friends and few nights ago and it turned out great.  

I have also been running some in the mornings.  One of the morning runs was down on the "malecon" which is a nice wide sidewalk that goes for miles up above the beach.  It was beautiful and so peaceful to enjoy God's creation.  The weather here is pretty amazing... daily highs are around low to mid 80's with overcast skies and high humidity.  It's nothing like the frigid air in Kentucky that I have been hearing about, haha!

More to come soon...

Mad love

Jess

P.S.  I listened to the UK game against Tennessee the other night online and was pumped to hear the outcome!  And how about Meeks?  A night for the history books!

Lost in the city

So this is day 5 in Peru.  Things are still going very well.  I am currently taking it easy in my apartment.  I had my first meeting with the team today and met a couple with a little boy who are working here in Lima as career missionaries and they were very sweet people.  It's always an encouragement to see a husband, wife, and their young child/children out on the field fully surrendering themselves to the Lord.  At the meeting we discussed the upcoming arrival of many folks and about all of the many church groups and individuals that will be coming in during the US summer.  I am so thankful for my current team members and am looking forward to meeting more in the next few weeks.

I have been trying to walk many of my routes and learning street names and where important places are in town.  I got lost for about a half hour the other day on my way home but eventually figured it out.  And again today I found myself a little confused but managed to get back safely and saw many beautiful parks with blooming flowers, green grass, and big trees while I was lost so it wasn't so bad.  The Lord is really showing me how with just a little faith and trust he can get us through anything.  Whether it be large or small.  I am finding joy in small victories... like finding my way around town, figuring out how to make the shower warm, and fixing the constant running toilet.  

May each of us find joy in the small things in our lives.  I ask that you would continue to pray for a smooth transition into the culture and language.  Pray for the missionaries that will be joining us very soon and that together we can begin doing the work in the small villages of South America to which the Lord has called us.  

MAD Love

P.S.  If any of you have skype please let me know so that I can add you.

Goodbyes, Planes, Beaches, and Bem Bos

Hello all!

Hope you have all had a wonderful holiday season.  I am so happy to say that this is my first post from PERU!  I am in my apartment and about to head to bed!

Saying goodbye to family was really hard.  I already miss them dearly.  During my last days I was able to go to the lake with poppa, momma, and my brother to enjoy the warm weather, we went to my favorite restaurant Pasquales, we spent lots of time just hanging out with the in the house, and we had a wonderful celebration with friends and family on New Year's Eve.  I could never thank the Lord enough for the blessing of my family.

My day on plane rides went pretty well besides a little spurt of sickness on the way to Lima.  I flew with a couple of girls who will also be working in South America which was very comforting.  We finally arrived in Lima, Peru around 2:00 am on Saturday.  We were met by a number of missionaries working here in Peru.  After getting luggage loaded we headed to my apartment.   I was the only girl in the apartment last night although there are 2 others living here who will be back tomorrow.  I unpacked until around 4 am and then hit the sack.  

Today was spent with two new friends who are working on the ReapSouth team.  We spent lots of time talking and walking.  They helped me to get familiar with the city.  We then took a trip down to the beach.  This was quite an experience as the beaches were packed with locals.  We set up a spot and enjoyed the warm air.  But ended up spending most of our time avoiding the burning looks from a group of surfer guys who were smoking marijuana.  We left the beach and headed back for home and later went to a local restaurant called Bem Bos where I got cheese sticks and a burrito!  It was a good meal for my first night.  I am looking forward to church tomorrow and more time with my new friends.  More to come soon!

Please be in prayer for me as I try to get back into the groove of understanding and speaking spanish constantly.  Be in prayer for the people in Lima and for Christ to have a strong impact on their lives.

Besos