tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76455567376050494752024-03-13T19:06:05.903-07:00Jojo in the USA... at least for nowJojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-51438714615705338082011-09-12T13:33:00.000-07:002011-09-12T13:33:22.549-07:00where to begin<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I am not really sure how to go about starting this thing up again. But for some reason I don't want to let it go yet. I feel like somehow there's still some sharing left to do. So, as you can see, I gave the page a new look as it is a different season than when I last wrote. If you are reading this I hope that you are experiencing immense blessings from the Lord and finding joy in each day.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Many of you know that I am currently in pursuit of a career in nursing. It has been a bumpy road so far and there have been several disappointments and setbacks. As for now, I am taking some classes at Morehead State Univeristy in preparation for nursing school. I am applying to schools along the way. I am trusting the Lord with all the details... this is not always easy but He knows best. I must constantly remind myself that His way is infinitely better than mine. I ask that you would pray for me as I get back into the swing of classes. I am taking 10 hours worth of classes but each one feels heavy in it's own way. If there is any way in which I can pray for you, feel free to message me or e-mail me at: jojosorrell@gmail.com.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">"This is what the LORD says—<br />
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:<br />
""I am the LORD your God,<br />
who teaches you what is best for you,<br />
who directs you in the way you should go</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">.""</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">- Isaiah 48:17</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Hallelujah! His ways are best.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Mad love and blessings</span>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-52363422476860370392010-11-23T12:23:00.000-08:002010-11-23T12:23:23.564-08:00I'm baaaaackSooo... I am not quite sure that anyone will be following this as most are aware of my return and a couple of things may happen: <div><br />
<div>1. They may assume my blogging days are over now that I am back.</div><div>2. They may see that my silly rants continue and opt to discontinue tuning in.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Regardless, my news to you is that the blogging will continue. I find it fun. It's also great for me to reflect on things going on in my life and share them with others. Most importantly the cool things that the Lord is doing. I want to share with you a verse that has really been on my heart since I have been back. I am here in Morehead, KY living with parents and I have lots of doubt. I am often unsure about what exactly I should be doing with my life right now. I want to come up with all these grand plans and schemes for what things are going to look like in the coming years. But I know with God... our plans and ideas usually aren't the same as His. So instead, I am learning to resign myself to complete trust in Him. Cause guess what? He's incredible. He has been guiding my life all along.</div><div><br />
</div><div>"Many are the plans in the mind of man,</div><div>but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."</div><div>-Proverbs 19:21</div><div><br />
</div><div>God's word is so awesome and it speaks to us exactly where we are... I am thankful for that. I am also thankful to experience my favorite time of the year. This season brings... colorful leaves, cooler weather, pumpkins, hot chocolate, turkey and all the fixins. Something else really cool happens, we get to experience a time of thankfulness and reflecting on God's goodness in our lives. I hope that some of you will think on those things. And your responce with be to give the Lord praise for his goodness and to tell people in your lives the ways that they are blessing you. I can't wait to share some more with you soon. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Mad love.</div><div><br />
</div></div>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-76339674366327962282010-09-23T10:16:00.000-07:002010-09-23T10:59:28.583-07:00Blessed monthI have a lot to catch you guys up on as it has been a pretty busy month. I spent a few weeks living in the village of Huarochiri followed by a research trip. I won't be able to cover it all but what I can tell you for sure is that it has been a amazingly blessed few weeks.<div><br /></div><div>So... Huarochiri was without a doubt one of the richest experiences I have had in a village. It began with uncertainty and days without much to do. However, the plans of the Lord became clear in time. We spent time with a couple of local believers on a regular basis. One of them was an old man, named Nisefero, and he wanted to meet every day... so we did! It was wonderful to see both Nisefero and Rayda (the other believer we met with) growing in the word of the Lord and trusting in Him more each day. Something amazing happened toward then end of our time. A lady came to Rayda to ask about us because she has the desire to read the Bible. We got to know her and spend time with her and she also was a believer! By the end of our time we got together with all three of them and they did a Bible study on their own. Hallelujah! We are praying that their time together will continue and that the Spirit will give them more and more understanding of the word. </div><div><br /></div><div>An opportunity I was originally not too pumped about, but, which turned out to be one of the coolest was spending time with the children in the primary school. We visited one or two classes each day and taught Bible stories and english. It was unbelievable how they received us and the way they participated, picking up the stories and english quickly and with excitement. Our prayer is that those stories and the lessons about what God did will continue to stick with them... that the truth that they heard will not be forgotten. We pray that their little ears would be closed to any untruth that may come from a variety of sources. We got so close to one of the classes that they through us a party before we left and made us cards and flowers to take with us as a memory. Their gratitude to us was something I had never seen in any other place... I was truly humbled.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you would like to check out some of the pictures you can see them here:</div><div><br /></div><div>http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=233281&id=638611248&ref=mf</div><div><br /></div><div>I had to switch gears and get into research mode. The research trip went well but because of difficultly of public transportation in the area we were only able to get information from half of the villages on our original list. It was a real bummer leaving and feeling like we weren't able to accomplish all that we had hoped. I resigned myself to the fact that God knows best. We spent our last night as a team (Arturo, Michelle, and I) praying over the places we had been visited and those that we weren't able to visit. There was little gospel presence in the villages and we hope this will change soon if it's in His plan. </div><div><br /></div><div>I am now enjoying a little time in Lima. I will be heading out for a few days on a mini-vacation to visit some places in the north. My team mostly covers southern Peru so it's time to get a little taste of the north. I will update you at least once more before this journey ends... which is only a little over three weeks away! I have completely mixed feelings at this point. All I know is that God is good. I am soaking up Peru in these last few weeks and am eager to see all of your faces very soon.</div><div><br /></div><div>MAD LOVE</div><div><br /></div><div>Been reading through some of the Old Testament books that are little and at the end. It has been awesome. And I wanted to share a verse.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things!"</div><div>- Joel 2:21</div>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-35556940999240323612010-08-18T11:16:00.000-07:002010-08-18T11:39:36.308-07:00Momma's visit and Huarochiri (try pronouncing that one)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Friends, the time has come to head out on another trip. But, before I talk about that I just wanted to mention a little bit about the time I spent with my mom when she visited August 2-9. I cannot explain how cool it was to see her come out at the arrival gate in Lima and give her a huge hug. We had the chance over the course of the week to spend time talking and sharing more about what has been going on here and back in the states, to see some of the sights in Lima (some of which I hadn't yet had the chance to see), to eat LOTS of amazing food, to travel to an area about 5 hours away and experience the desert and the sea, to enlighten my mom a little more about the reality of Peru, and what was most significant to me was that we got to love on each other and praise God for how wonderful he has been, is, and will be.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You can check out pictures here:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=199040&id=638611248</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So... my next adventure begins tomorrow. I will be part of a team of three serving in a village about 7 hours from Lima called Huarochiri. This was not our original destination, but as is often the case, things changed. My team is made up of Arturo, Ginny, and I. We have had the opportunity to talk with members of the church that comes from the states several times a year to work in this village. They were able to give us many names and specific information on some of the people who are believers, some who are interested in the Word, and others with whom they have had contact but not lots of interest yet. We are excited to see what the Lord has for us there. A Bible study was supposed to have began there a few weeks ago after a team from the church left but we are unsure if that happened. This will be something we will seek to find out and either encourage them to keep it up or try and encourage them to start the study. we will have approximately three weeks in this village before returning to Lima. I would ask for your prayers for this village and my team. We are expecting to be used in big ways and to seek the Lord as we make relationships and share.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This verse always comes to mind when I am preparing myself to head out to a village. I claim this. I pray this. I believe this it true.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen." </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">-Ephesians 3:20-21</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mad love</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'll be in touch in a few weeks if not before then.</span></span></div>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-15845897025442838742010-08-12T07:27:00.000-07:002010-08-12T08:27:12.442-07:00FarewellsDear friends it has been some time now and I have much to tell you. It's been a busy couple of months. The Lord continues to shine through all of it and show himself faithful. This hasn't been the easiest season of my time in Peru or of my life for that matter. But I am confident that He has purpose in everything.<div><br /><div>"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."</div><div>-Proverbs 19:21</div><div><br /></div><div>"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven"</div><div>-Ecclesiastes 3:1</div></div><div><br /></div><div>I am gonna go all the way back to late June and pick up there. As you may remember, I was traveling with a couple of college students doing research in some different regions. We had a rough time in the early parts of June and were pretty tired by the time we reached mid-summer and at this time we were able to have a big reunion with all of the summer volunteers and with my close friends that I work with here. The timing of this was perfect and the Lord granted his grace to us with some good rest and time to fellowship with brothers and sisters. We had a time to share stores from the month of June. We had a wildly fun talent show. I did a dance with some friends and some peruvian animal impression. I hope to get a link up of the video so you guys can see it as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>Shortly after this reunion my team and I headed back to Lima with some of my close friends so that we could wish Ryan, another Journeyman and one of my best friends, farewell. It was a blessing to be with all my dear friends that I have been working with since the beginning of this journey and to celebrate and praise the Lord for how He has used Ryan in Peru and in each of our lives.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once my team and I worked out a tentative plan for part 2 of the summer we headed back out to Ayacucho to finish up research that we were unable to complete during the first half of the summer due to sickness. The Lord blessed that trip although we were constantly tired from the long travel and started getting sick again. During this time I met a dentist from the states who was visiting Peru and doing some volunteer work in the area. She and I became friends and I helped her out with figuring out some places where she might be able to use her abilities to help the people. Some of you may remember me talking about Domingo and Berta in some previous entries. Domingo is a pastor and Berta is his wife. She also teaches for kindergarten aged children. My dentist friends, Mariana, came to the school where Berta teaches to check out the children's teeth and show them how to properly brush. I was sort of her assistant for the day. It was so cool for me to help out in that way and tough at the same time to see the how bad some of the children's teeth were but to be able to teach them something important was neat. The Lord continues to reveal to me the passion I have in helping people out in a physical, tangible way. Serving them by meeting some of their needs.</div><div><br /></div><div>The rest of the summer brought more travel and a nearly constant with sickness and fatigue. In our weariness, I petitioned the Lord for energy and strength. He provided. We had to commit ourselves to the work but also to taking rest when we needed it. I'll share with you about one specific village we visited and it was there that we really saw God open some doors. We were in the town of Congalla doing research in mid-July. We had gotten most of our information and it was evening so we walked around town trying to find something to eat. Some young kids approached us and wanted to know if we would like to do an interview of sorts. We complied and spent about an hour talking with them and answering all kinds of different questions. We tried to sing the National Anthem but it didn't go so well, cause we were unaware of how incredibly HIGH it is, hahaha! During the conversation told them about the purpose of our visit. At the end, the Lord gave us the opportunity to pray for them. Hallelujah! My teammate, Sarah, prayed in English and then I translated her prayer and prayed in Spanish. Just one example of how we saw God's faithfulness in our travels.</div><div><br /></div><div>We made it back to Lima around the 25th of July in order to take all of our information and put it into documents that will be taken to churches in the states with the hope of stirring up interest to adopt these places and come down in order to share with the people in these towns. Towns where there are many lost and confused people who are in desperate need of truth and the word. After finishing all the computer work we reunited once again with all the summer volunteers and had a few days of sharing about the month of July. It was a time of listening, prayer, and fellowship. Most of them left shortly after this time. It was refreshing and inspiring to hear their hearts and see their obedience in spending two moths here and carrying out the purpose that the Lord has set before them.</div><div><br /></div><div>The last couple of weeks have been crazy including sending off a couple more of my dear Journeyman friends and a week visit from my mom. I hope to write again soon and tell more about the time with my mom and some specific things that the Lord has been teaching me. </div><div><br /></div><div>Mad Love</div><div><br /></div><div>One more things... my team and I went through some of Psalms in our time together and the Lord revealed to me how weak I am when it comes to my knowledge of the word. I am working on putting scripture to memory and the Psalm below is where I began. I hope he will continue to challenge me in this way and that I will be obedient to guard the word in my heart.</div><div><br /></div><div>Psalm 100</div><div><br /></div><div>Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!</div><div>Serve the Lord with gladness!</div><div>Come into his presence with singing!</div><div><br /></div><div>Know that the Lord, he is God.</div><div>It is he who made us, and we are his;</div><div>we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.</div><div><br /></div><div>Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise!</div><div>Give thanks to him; bless his name!</div><div><br /></div><div>For the Lord is good;</div><div>his steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations.</div>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-19274449882967879632010-06-17T16:56:00.000-07:002010-06-17T17:21:55.429-07:00A few bumps in the roadAfter writing this title I realize that this not only holds figurative meaning as we have come across a few obstacles since our research journeys began but it holds a quite literal meaning as it is a rare occasion to travel on a paved road while traveling in Peru. The majority of our trips are quite literally bumpy the entire way.<br /><br />Greeting to you all from Ayacucho City. We are back here after a research trip that was cut a little short because one of my teammates came down with a pretty wicked rash. In our time out God showed himself faithful. We saw his constant provision as we were visiting town to town getting information. In the first place we visited after walking around for only a short time the Lord placed a believer in our path who helped us with information on the community, introduced us to other locals, took us to visit the school and share about our mission, and fed us an amazing peruvian meal. Our journey has been marked with divine meetings just like this.<br /><br />We are so thankful for the people of peace that he continues to put in our paths. We were blessed to have a short visit by a couple of guys from the states. We laughed, traveled, prayed, and even struggled a little with our brothers. It was such a joy to share some with them and to be encouraged by them. We will most likely be heading out again tomorrow for out next destination. Please pray for my teammate who is beginning to get better from his rash and also for me as my body has been a little weak and with some stomach issues in the last day or so. We pray especially for endurance as the travel can be a little grueling. Our little issues do not compare to all our Saviour has done for us so we press on. Hallelujah!<br /><br />I long to have an earnest desire for the Lord and his word. I long to grow in wisdom and understanding that comes from above. I have found myself struggling in this area. This truly troubles me. I see how this affects me negatively in every aspect of my life. I am taking this request to God in my prayers. I ask that you would also join me in prayer. Pray that I would not neglect my time nor be distracted when I am in the word.<br /><br />The Lord is walking my through Hosea and Hebrews and I came across this tonight. Praise Him for this truth. I wanted to share it in the language in which I am currently living, Spanish, as well as in my own heart language.<br /><br />"Ciertamente, la palabra de Dios es viva y poderosa, y más cortante que cualquier espada de dos filos. Penetra hasta lo más profundo del alma y del espíritu, hasta la médula de los huesos, y juzga los pensamientos y las intenciones del corazón. Ninguna cosa creada escapa a la vista de Dios. Todo está al descubierto, expuesto a los ojos de aquel a quien hemos de rendir cuentas."<br /><br />"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."<br /><br />-Hebrews 4:12-13<br /><br />Be in touch again soon.<br />Mad loveJojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-6300382582791182032010-06-06T20:47:00.000-07:002010-06-06T20:59:29.061-07:00ayacucho... let the research beginHello to all you folks who are keeping up with my travels. Hope this finds you doing very well. It´s pretty late here in Ayacucho City in the Andes and the stars are shining bright. When I am this close to the sky I stand outside and say to myself, ¨stop... stop right there, look what your Creator made¨, I cannot tell you of the wonders that I have seen in my time here. I am continually amazed.<br /><br />My team for the summer is made up of a couple of college students, Eric and Sara. Eric is a student at UNC Charlotte and Sara is at University of West Florida. I think we are going to have a lot of fun together. We laugh a whole lot. I am eager to grow with them, to encourage and be encouraged as we travel and seek after the Lord. We aks for your prayers as we start a pretty rigorous schedule of travel early in the morning.<br /><br />I doubt that I will have the chance to update a lot in the following months but I can´t wait to catch up again in late July. <br /><br />Mad love to all<br /><br />I am clinging to this verse tonight as I am already a little tired and the traveling has hardly begun. You who are weary, find rest in Him.<br /><br />¨In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.¨<br />-Psalm 4:8Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-46782069353693907852010-05-26T13:04:00.000-07:002010-05-26T13:40:13.939-07:00Good reads<div>One of my most earnest desires is to learn from Scripture and have a true passion for God's Word. So I pray this for myself. I would ask you also to pray that I would be grounded in the Word before all else. </div><div><br /></div><div>Apart from this I am interested in reading about the lives of others and the experiences people all over the world have had. Books have the ability to do just this. They can take you into a whole different world and allow you to view something from a completely different perspective. </div><div><br /></div><div>I wanted to share with you guys a goal that I made for myself in late February. The goal is to read at least one book per month for the rest of the year.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here are a couple of books I have read up to this point and wanted to tell you about:</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Open - the autobiography of Andre Agassi. As you may know I love the sport of tennis. Not just playing, which I rarely get to do at this juncture of life, but watching as well. The life of this tennis icon is most interesting. A life filled with experiences that someone like me can hardly imagine. A huge part of his life involved pain... not just the physical kind because of injuries but the kind in your heart because of things that you go through. Now this is not just a downer of a book, I laughed and smiled a lot too.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. A Million Miles in a Thousand - the newest book by Donald Miller. This book is about story. What it looks like to live a better story and to be a person of character. I can't tell you how many chapters I read and my mouth just dropped open. Such an applicable book to us as believers.</div>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-32563263396927185612010-05-23T21:56:00.000-07:002010-05-23T22:23:22.918-07:00Lambrama and AlisDuring the early parts of May I spent a week in a village called Lambrama and later in the month a week in the village of Alis. I dealt with some sickness in the middle of these trips which made the time spent in each place a little shorter than I had hoped. But I the Lord was moving.<div><br /></div><div>It was in Lambrama that I saw some of the most amazing things I have yet seen in Peru. Set between and surrounded by enormous mountains this place reminded me of the beauty of His creation and we were in awe of his majesty each and every day just by opening our door to see outside. After only a short time there we recognized God working. A young woman named Celia came to the Lord... Praise God for using us to share the gospel with her and to begin the process of discipleship. We made a solid relationship with a man named Dino and encouraged him in his walk with the Lord, we recognized in him a potential for a leader and strong christian male presence which is key to seeing the Church rise up. Through him we met a lady named Josefa who was over 100 years old. We helped in giving her a bath, cleaning the blankets that she slept on, and tidying the small room she inhabits. It was life-giving for me to have the chance to help Josefa in such a tangible way. She truly needs our prayers because she sometimes goes without food or care for days when Dino is not in town. He is the only person who is committed in aiding her and making meals to take to her home. Josefa is so desperate and in a given day mostly thinks about her desire for death to come quickly. We told her of the gospel and that there is a hope for the hopeless. We shared out of obedience not knowing if she would understand. For we trust that the Word does not return void. For all that happened there I am so very thankful. Please say a pray for these people and this village.<div><br /></div><div>My time in Alis was also a blessing in several ways and I'd like to share a couple of those ways. The first is a blessing that reoccurs in most any place I go but I long to never take it for granted. The Lord's creation is in a word, marvelous. I have never seen a place as beautiful as this place in my entire existence. Yet again I was overwhelmed with the beauty I saw in the mountains, trees, rivers, birds, flowers. Thank you Creator. The second is the beauty that I saw in His people. The believers who lead a group in the town are named Juan and Delia. These people are the most solid believers I have met in Peru. Individuals earnestly seeking the will of the Lord. Looking to scripture to receive wisdom and understanding on what the life a follower should look like. These folks challenge and encourage me in my own walk. And though we are from starkly different backgrounds I found myself talking to them about the same issues that I often deal with in my own life. Again, I can only be thankful for a chance to have spent time in places like this with people like that. </div><div><br /></div><div>Mad love</div></div>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-48551502893117591462010-04-15T11:28:00.000-07:002010-04-16T07:14:49.125-07:00On the road again soonWell my dear friends. Since the last time I updated you much has happened. I served for a month in the village of Bella Union. Some wonderful things happened there including quality time and bible study with some believers there. The Lord used us to get them to start coming together as the church again before we left. It was one of the first time that I have seen some really tangible things that the Lord did in a village. It was hard to leave the people that we had been spending our time with but it was also really neat and comforting to know that even if we never saw them again we would be in Heaven together.<div><br /></div><div>The time in Bella Union also brought on some adversity. We had some folks we were staying with who came up against our work and discouraged us. We tried to be a light to this family but it wasn't easy. From this situation I am learning even more about what it is to love people and to love them unconditionally. Even if they are coming up against you or if they are hard to love. The Lord was speaking to me a lot with 1 John 4. It talks a lot about what it truly means to love others and what it looks like. I still have so much to be taught and I am looking forward to the Lord sharpening me and molding me even more. I am praying for a humble Spirit and one that does not resist changes that He wants to make with me.</div><div><br /></div><div>This break brought about another amazing experience as I got to take a trip with some dear friends up north to the beach. We were able to relax and enjoy the beach and the breeze. God's creation is unbelievably amazing and we were thankful to enjoy it and rest in Him. Part of this trip was to celebrate a last few days with a friends who headed to Haiti just this morning. I am so thankful for his life and I am praying for him as he enters a whole new environment where he will serve for at least 6 months. I am now prepping to head back out again, most likely tomorrow afternoon. God is so good in continuing to bless me with opportunities and ways to serve here. Pray for us as we learn about the work that the Lord has for us in this new village in the department of Cusco. Pray that we will dive into the work. Update coming again as soon as possible.</div><div><br /></div><div>MAD LOVE</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#330033;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I was reminded of this passage as I wrote today:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#330033;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#330033;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">"</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#330033;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You'll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind."</span></span></span></div><!--StartFragment--> <!--EndFragment--> <div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#330033;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#330033;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">-Luke 6:35-36 (The Message)</span></span></span></div>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-41395639996664655552010-03-13T12:16:00.000-08:002010-03-13T12:28:16.294-08:00FirstsI am safely in the village now and currently in a nearby village getting some groceries and using the internet. I have experienced a few firsts this time around and wanted to share:<br /><br />- Desert/coast weather (so much different than mountains)<br />- Olives as the primary crop<br />- Wearing sandals without freezing or putting socks on with sandals<br />- Sweating day and night<br />- A huge back porch at the place where we are staying (such a blessing to read, journal, and have prayer time with my team)<br />- Internet nearby<br />- Warm shower<br /><br />So much different from some of the places I have been before. I am counting it all as a blessings. What is huge and different in some ways about this place is how open and friendly the people have been with us. I am so looking forward to time with folks we have met including a number of believers. Pray for us as we continue to meet people and allow the Lord to use us. Pray that we can really dive into the work as we only have a few weeks.<br /><br />Mad Love<br /><br />OH YEAH... and GO CATS!!! I am cheering them on from here even though I hardly know what`s going on.Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-43511620774720120712010-03-09T13:54:00.000-08:002010-03-09T13:59:07.805-08:00Bella UnionWell I wanted to let you guys know that I am heading to the town of Bella Union tomorrow. I have made part of my journey and will finish traveling tomorrow. I am excited to work again with Michelle and we are with a guy named Martin from Peru. We are excited to see what the Lord has in store for us there. A team from the states will be coming down to be with us in a couple of weeks. I have not worked with a states team in their village so I am looking forward to that time as well and talking with them about the work. Pray for us this month that we will be bold and sense the Lord's leading as we get to know the people and share.<br /><br />MAD LOVEJojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-12115690918307049902010-03-05T06:23:00.000-08:002010-03-05T06:54:02.130-08:00Reflections on ChupaWell I am back in Lima now for a short break after spending a month in the village of Chupa in the department of Puno. I have been able to spend some time reflecting on my time there and wanted to share with you guys some of the things that went on while I was there. The Lord has been teaching me lots lately so I wanted to share some of that too.<div><br /></div><div>As you might know I spent my time in Chupa with another girl from the states named Michelle and a peruvian guy names Lidman. Things got off to a pretty slow start. It was hard for me because I think the people were least responsive or interested in talking with us and meeting us than any other place I had ever been. I am use to at least curiosity on the part of the people even if they may not want to talk to us about their beliefs. But curiosity about us didn't really seem to be there either. We continually prayed for God's direction and guidance in showing us where he could use us. We knew of a couple groups of believers that were meeting as the church in a couple of surrounding villages so we went in the first week to see if we could find some these folks and maybe spend some time sharing a encouraging them. We found a group of about 10 in a village called Chocos and in the village of Kututuni we found a pastor and he told us there was 20 meeting in their group. This was such a blessing to us and gave us a sense of purpose. We spent weekends visiting these groups. We told them bible stories and discussed the things we were learning from the stories. We challenged the believers to be obedient to those stories and to try and put them to memory so that they could share with family, friends, and neighbors. The response to the stories and our time with them was most positive. We thank the Lord for their hearts and desires to learn the Word. We will continue to be in prayer for these church groups. In the village of Chupa we were able to spend some time with individual believers and sharing with kids. We were also thankful for that time but we are praying that the Lord will really begin to move there and that the few believers will understand the need to meet with other believers and share the good news with those around them. My friend Lidman will continue to work their and prepare for a medical team that is coming to the states at the end of this month. We are praying for him. That he will find strength in the Lord and always follow after the Lord's guidance for the work.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Lord was teaching me a lot this month about wisdom. I have been reading in Proverbs and also in 1 Samuel. I am seeing a lot of repetition about seeking wisdom and understanding. And not just the kind that gives you earthly knowledge or knowledge of things. But the knowledge that comes from God. The kind that allows us to truly seek after His own heart. The kind that allows us to show love and sincerity to those around us. I am still working through a lot of it and the repetition of it is really good for me in the scripture cause it is a constant reminder. I was also reading in 1 Samuel about how were are to seek first to the obedient to our God and his Word. To do what he is leading us to do to heed the things that He is teaching us. Obedience comes before all else including sacrifice and Saul had to learn that the hard way. I think that is such a huge lesson. Truly seeking obedience. The same day that I read about this my team and I were reading in Romans and there was a similar message in the passage. It is so cool how God affirms and reiterates in the New Testament ideas that he was using during the Old Testament. And in Romans this whole idea of being obedient to the Lord is taking us through this process that is sanctification. I am so thankful that the Lord is revealing, teaching, and walking with me in the this sanctification process.</div><div><br /></div><div>Right now as I am here in Lima I am preparing to head out again soon. More than likely I will be on my way to the mountains again sometime this weekend. Pray for my teammate Michelle and I as we discern where the Lord is leading us to go and more than likely a new team member. I will update you all again once I know the location where we are headed and the name of my other team member.</div><div><br /></div><div>MAD LOVE</div>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-28334795619548260532010-02-20T08:23:00.000-08:002010-02-20T08:25:50.790-08:00RapìdoHey everyone!<br /><br />Just wanted to give you a quick update. We are headed to Chupa this afternoon for our last week or so there. I ask that you would pray for us because tomorrow (Sunday) we will be meeting with some believers in a village outside of the one where we live to encourage and train them. Pray also that we would be able to encourage and share with those in Chupa. It has been a sort of slow with ministry but we are praising God for this opportunity and planting seeds. I will be in touch again soon.<br /><br />Mad LoveJojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-21649691579027196842010-02-05T14:59:00.000-08:002010-02-05T15:14:29.596-08:00Back to the Mountains at LastIt's been quite a while since I updated everyone. I have spent the last few months in Lima and also took a short trip to the states to spend some time with my family in Florida. It has been a wonderful time or reflection over the past year and enjoying time with my teammates. It was so life giving to vacation in Florida for the holidays. I got to see a couple of college friends who came down as well. The Lord knew that I needed that time to get filled up on my love tank and get lots of hugs from people that mean so much to me.<div><br /></div><div>During January we spent a couple of weeks training a new group of semester volunteers that will be serving with us through May. I am not actually serving with any of them but it was great to pour into them about the work in the mountains and where we have seen the Lord working. I am excited to hear about their experiences in the coming months. As for me, I am heading out early in the morning to serve for a few weeks in the department of Puno in a town called Chupa. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have a few prayer requests for you guys as I head out. One of the things that I have become apprehensive about some during my time here is team dynamic. I know how important it is to have team members with the same heart and common goals so that the Lord can use us in the most effective way. I have been on teams where that hasn't always come naturally or some issues have surfaced. I ask you to pray that the Lord would knit us together in such a way that we compliment each other a uphold one another. We want the people not to just hear about Christ with our words but to see it in the ways that we love one another. </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h2 id="passage_heading"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."</span></span></span></span></span></h2><h2 id="passage_heading"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">-John 13:34-35</span></span></span></span></span></span></h2><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I will be back in Lima for a brief time in early March and will look forward to updating you guys about this trip and what will be coming up for me. Mad love you all!</span></span></div></span></div>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-28769557888438780782009-12-24T06:45:00.001-08:002009-12-24T07:04:21.075-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yrgBCv0ykGA/SzOClDXvCsI/AAAAAAAAACA/G6KV-L77I1M/s1600-h/10835_522767968416_177501880_31035122_286063_n.jpg"><img style="text-align: center;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yrgBCv0ykGA/SzOClDXvCsI/AAAAAAAAACA/G6KV-L77I1M/s400/10835_522767968416_177501880_31035122_286063_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418818349728467650" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It has been another blessed month. Some opportunities that the Lord has placed in my life in the last month have been working at an orphanage outside of Lima, helping teach english for a group of young people, and having down time here in Lima with my team members (seen above). I has been praying for the Lord to open up some way to get connected here in the city while here for the holidays. And he was faithful. Another blessing is coming up for me as I will be traveling to see my family in Florida in only a couple of days. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So this is me wishing each of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I know that I won't be seeing many of you during the holiday season but I am thinking of you and praying for you. This has been such an awesome year for me. Full of many new experiences and learning how to do life in Peru. The Lord has taught me so much and for that I am thankful. I am also thankful for each of you and your prayer and support. I am praying during this season that I can share the love to those around me that was shown to me when Christ was sent to earth. I have been reading in 1 John and would like to share just a short bit with you.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him." 1 John 4:9 (NSV)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4:11 (ESV)</div>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-79001944772603188062009-11-20T15:44:00.000-08:002009-11-20T16:25:30.575-08:00Still hereWell it's been almost a month. I wanted you all to know that I am still here. Following my trip to Spain I spent a couple of weeks out of town. Now that I am back in Lima I am eager to catch you guys up a little on what has been going on with me and more importantly what the Lord has been doing. More than likely I will be here in Lima for a month or two as there are some things our team will be doing to prepare semester missionaries in January and we are going to enjoy the holidays all together in Lima. I am so very thankful for this upcoming time to be with team and to have some down time.<div><br /></div><div>I never really got to fill you in much on my vacation to Spain. I'll take this time to tell you that it was one of the coolest vacations I have ever done. My friend Brittne and I visited the capital city of Madrid and then headed to the coast to see Barcelona. We kept ourselves super busy because we wanted to see as much as we could in the week that we had. I was wonderful to experience a country that I studied at length in college. I saw Spanish history come to life as I looked at paintings of famous artists in museums, walked through palaces of past kings, looked at building of famous architects, and stood on ground where it all went down. A couple of other highlights were going into La Sagrada Familia (a church designed by the architect Gaudi) and riding mopeds throughout Barcelona. I was so thankful to get away and to see some of the world and the wonderful creation of God. I hope I can go back someday and maybe even visit some other parts of Europe.</div><div><br /></div><div>Following this trip I came to Lima for only a day or so and headed to a pastors training in an area about 9 hours from Lima called Ayacucho City. It was great for me to see meet and share time with some other believers who are excited to learn more and spread the gospel into their respective communities. We talked about storying the Bible and ways to plant simple churches. What an encouragement and blessing to see nationals living out their faith.</div><div><br /></div><div>Following this trip I went to another part of Peru with my friend Brittne and three members of a church from the states. This church from Alabama is interested in adopting an area and they came down to check out a specific village and begin to for a vision for how they can bring the gospel their and how to prepare the people of their church for a culture and setting completely different from their own. It was neat to see a fresh perspective and passion for the people of Peru. I was reminded and affirmed by them in my love for these people and in the call that the Lord has placed on my life for this time. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now I am back here in Lima. We have finally settled into a new apartment after all the chaos with the fire that happened in our apartment. I have a wonderful family down here in my team, they have helped us in all the moving around and all the drama that has surrounded this incident. It's also been so great to have the ability to regularly communicate with my family in KY, they have also loved and supported me through this busy and chaotic few weeks. </div><div><br /></div><div>In all of this the Lord has urged me to claim this verse:</div><div><br /></div><div>"Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:4-7</div><div> </div>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-39606507046837126712009-10-23T09:00:00.000-07:002009-10-23T09:04:57.489-07:00Home from SpainWanted to let you know that I made it home from an absolutely wonderful trip from Spain. It was such a blessing to get away, see some of the world and enjoy God's creation, and meet some cool people. I will be updating again very soon.<div><br /></div><div>Be praying for me and my team as we are preparing for a pastor training in Ayacucho this coming week. We will be heading there on Sunday and stay for a little less than a week. Many blessings to all of you. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'd like to add that if there is ever anything specific that I can be praying about for any of you then please let know through a comment or e-mail. </div><div><br /></div><div>MAD LOVE</div>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-34223430422782462832009-10-13T09:43:00.000-07:002009-10-13T09:49:32.336-07:00My new birthday tuneSo when I woke up on my birthday I was thinking... I would really like for someone to sing to me or hear a birthday song, hahaha! I got my computer and checked my Itunes library to see if there might be anything. I found this fun little song from the wonderful decade that is the 80's. If any of you are having a birthday I would highly recommend this songs. It was just the perfect way to start of a birthday!<div><br /></div><div>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40K2S0-5Xo0</div>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-54631784463361672982009-10-13T09:20:00.000-07:002009-10-13T09:43:11.885-07:00Strange DaysSo the last fews weeks have been a little crazy and weird for me. I got back from a research trip about a week ago (more details on that trip to come) and was enjoying down time at the apartment where we stay in Lima, trying to catch up on things. On Saturday of last week, in the afternoon, some men came to install a gas tank so that we would have gas for our stove and for hot showers. Not long after they had come and gone something happened with the gas tank or with the hot water heater and a sort of explosion/fire took place in the house. I managed to get out of there before it all happened. I can be nothing but thankful to the Lord for getting me out and also that there was not much damage to our house and most of our belongings were just fine.<div><br /></div><div>The time following this incident has been trying for me. I was initially overwhelmed, in shock and later just wore out. This feeling of being wore out seems to linger. But my family here has been so encouraging and hospitable. Since all the events, I've been blessed with a place to stay with a missionary family until things get worked out and we can move to another location. I want to ask for your prayers as I continue to work through this emotionally and also as I try to work with the police and our organization on getting down to exactly what happened and what can be done. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have been learning more and more about my necessity to depend on the Lord for absolutely everything. I have been depending on him specifically for strength, for comfort, for healing, for rest, for guidance, for joy... I pray that each of you are also depending on the Lord wherever you are and whatever you might be experiencing.</div><div><br /></div><div>As some of you may now I recently celebrated my 24th birthday. It was amazing to spend time with friends here and to celebrate life. I can't tell you how thoughtful my team has been and how much support and love I was shown for my birthday. It was hard to be away from family as always. I got to talk to my family on skype the day after my birthday and it was life-giving to hear their voices and see their faces. </div><div><br /></div><div>I am heading out tomorrow on a little adventure/vacation to Spain. Which is actually kind of big for me and really exciting as I have never been to Europe. I will be there for a week with a friend of mine that I work here in Peru. It is going to be such a blessing to get away for a bit and enjoy the Lord's creation and have a time of rest and relaxation. Love you all and will be posting again soon.</div>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-50916461087920275992009-09-16T08:33:00.000-07:002009-09-16T08:38:25.015-07:00Off to research in ApurimacWell I am off to begin research in some villages in the department of Apurimac, province of Grau. Ryan, Mandy, and I are going to try and get into 12 different villages in the next couple of weeks. We will be back in Lima round the 5th of October as Ryan will be preparing to go on another trip and I will be preparing for a short trip to Spain! <br /><br />I ask that you would all be in prayer for us as we travel and try to find out lots of information. We are confident that the Lord will provide people for us to talk with, places to stay, and food for our bellies. I am also in prayer for all of you. Love you all and miss you very much!<br /><br />I wanted to give a shout out to Uncle Vernon because I know he has been keeping up with me so well and trying to pinpoint to the rest of the family all the places that I have traveled to on a map. I thank you so much for your interest and support in what I am doing and especially your many prayers!<br /><br />Be in touch soon.<br /><br />Mad LoveJojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-34513662363237403942009-09-10T15:34:00.000-07:002009-09-10T15:58:59.145-07:00Loong time no hearHello everyone! I hope that each of you has had a wonderful summer and that you are enjoying the transition to fall. I have to be really honest and say that I am deeply going to miss the fall in the states. My home is such a wonderful place in that fall. I am thinking of the bright oranges, reds, and yellows that cover the yard and hills all around my house and the mums and pumpkins everywhere! If you know me then you most likely know that I love anything that has to do with pumpkin. So enjoy some pumpkin carving or pumpkin delights or pumpkin pie for me!<div><br /></div><div>I wanted to catch you up just a little as to what I have been up to the past months and weeks. I spoke in a previous post about how I had been working for the months of June and July with a couple of college students from the states. That was such a blessing to me to be able to travel with them and also to get into doing research. I was able to visit over 20 villages and make friendships with people in hopes that the gospel will be spread in these places in the near future. I continue to think about those people I have met and pray that they will be reached soon. It was a wonderful time of growing. The Lord continues to give me such a love for the people here in Peru and a desire to serve.</div><div><br /></div><div>After my two research buddies headed back home for a break before they started school again I remained in Lima for a few weeks and was able to reflect on summer and on all I had learned about research and how it works here and how I can improve as a part of the research team. I also got to meet and spend time with my new teammate, Mandy, with whom I will most likely be serving for most of the rest of my term. It was great to get to know here a bit and talk to her about all I had learned here and what she was in for. It was also such a blessing to get to be here, to eat some good food, to take hot showers and to cook. Some of the things that aren't always possible when I am in the village. AND get this... during the month of July I went a total of about 16 days WITHOUT a shower! WOW, I never thought I would see the day as I am normally a pretty clean girl. But it was actually not that bad but I was reeeeaaaal dirty by the end of over two weeks. I am sure that you are all trying to picture that and it was not pretty and you are probably even a little disgusted which is totally fine cause I was too. But I am thinking it will probably happen again and I may even try to exceed the 16 days at some point in the time I have left.</div><div><br /></div><div>In mid-August Mandy, another brother who has served here for over three years, Steve, and I went to a region of Peru called Puno to finish up some research that my summer team was unable to finish as we had experienced some illness toward the end of July (some of you may have heard about my bout with the flu... it was icky but God is good and I am healthy as a horse). I was eager to get to work with Mandy and "teach her the ropes" and to get to work with Steve who has been her for a lot of time and served in a lot of different capacities. We researched in four villages that were all very far and we had to take buses and truck rides that would last more than 8 hours one way which wasn't always easy. The Lord was so faithful to provide us with food, shelter, transportation and people to talk to as we visited each place. We did a 10-hour hike to one of the villages which I am now referring to as "my new Everest". It was a difficult hike and at high elevation so it was a struggle but we made it and were so thankful for the time outdoors and just enjoying God's creation and thanking him that we made it! Another funny thing that happened was when we had to ride in a cargo truck from one village because there was no other form of transportation coming through for many days. Sooo we hopped in and rode through the evening and some of the night and it got incredibly cold but again God provided and some people in a town that we passed through gave us some blankets to cover up with. I have no doubt that it would have been a pretty miserable trip without having had those blankets. It has been so amazing to have such tangible ways that the Lord has been providing all along the way. I praise God for all that he has done.</div><div><br /></div><div>Well that catches you up quite a bit on what has been going on with me recently. I am sorry that these posts are often few and far between but I love being able to tell you about what I have been up to and how God has been working. I hope that wherever you are that the Lord is also teaching you and blessing you. I love you all and will try to update you as soon as I can. I should be heading out in the next day or so to do research for a month or so in a region called Apurimac.</div><div><br /></div><div>MAD LOVE</div>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-44666709250489032362009-08-07T20:56:00.000-07:002009-08-07T20:58:20.209-07:00SlideshowFound a new little gadget to add to the blog... check it out! ----><div>More to come soon.</div><div>Mad love!</div>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-7301081245853491212009-07-12T15:44:00.000-07:002009-07-12T15:59:35.545-07:00Lots of travelingSo since I last posted I have been all over the place and visited over 17 villages and have since more of Peru in the last month and a half than the entire first 4 months or so. I have two wonderful traveling buddies. We have had a great time serving together and learning a lot as we go.<br /><br />Research basically involves going into a village which statistics from past years tell us is less than 2% evangelized. Once in the village we begin to find basic information on that village. We seek to find information about what the primary language is (spanish or quechua), whether or not the people in the community are literate, where could a volunteer team stay if a they came to the village, is there a medical facility, are there schools, what kind of needs do the people have, and one of the most important elements is finding out if there is a church or believers in the village. Basically we get a good mental picture of what that particular village is like. We also take lots of photos. Once we have our info we spend time talking more with people around the village and making some relationships and seeking out any believers that we have heard of or trying to make sure there are none. Normally the research takes no more than a day or so. All of the info on a particular village is then put into the little hp computer that we carry with us and these "reports" will later be put into a physical form and shown to churches in the states in hopes that the villages will be adopted.<br /><br />I have really enjoyed learning about how to do research and the importance of really getting a good idea of each village and what makes them different and significant. It is often really hard to leave places because of how well we are recieved and the fact that we know so many people are lost in each and every place. We have developed a strong passion to continue praying for each of the places we go and the specific people we meet. We know that God has big plans for each and every village.<br /><br />I hope to tell you some specific stories in the near future. I should be back in Lima at the end of July and will look foward to updating this more as well as posting tons of pictures on my flickr.<br /><br />OH by the way I totally got to visit Macchu Picchu last month with my team and it was amazing! The Lord has blessed us with so many opportunities to see his beautiful creation and we are really thankful for that!<br /><br />MAD LOVEJojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645556737605049475.post-9388650776974149272009-06-01T10:08:00.000-07:002009-07-12T15:44:29.406-07:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(136,221,221)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Another light note before getting on to the serious stuff again. I wanted to share with everyone some cultural differences that I have found to be quite amusing. A friend and I were discussing some of these so it has been a cooperative effort to put a couple of examples together. </span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 17px"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(136,221,221);font-size:11;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">The first is that the majority of Peruvians believe that if you drink a cold beverage you will get sick with a cold. This explains why all beverages here are warm. It is very difficult to find a beverage that has been refrigerated. Maybe their logic is that if something cold goes inside your body that your body is bound to get cold and then sick. However, in some villages (like that of some of my co-workers but none of the ones that I personally have stayed in for a significant period of time) they eat ice-cream all the time which would clearly oppose this reasoning. So the mystery remains on why Peruvians think this way. So when one is in the mountains of Peru you can just plan on always drinking lukewarm or hot beverages.<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><div><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">One that shocked me initially but eventually became my favorites is how being called “fat” is not offensive. It’s like calling someone tall or short. It’s a fact about someone. But, being an American, it makes for an awkward moment when someone calls someone else fat who is standing right there. It’s only natural for one to want respond by saying “No you’re not fat” even though, let’s face it, this person probably is overweight and they are most likely not offended whatsoever. However, we know from our own experience that in the states words such as this can get a person slapped across the face. Another example of how this is not offensive is that some Peruvians may refer to a female family member, such as their mother or sister, as “Gordita”. This translates into English as “fatty” or “chubs”. But for them it is kind of like a term of endearment or a way to show affection to someone with which they are close.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:georgia;" ><br /></div></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >I am lovin' Peru. More to come soon.</span></div></span></div>Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10262203883870660417noreply@blogger.com1