...makes my heart beat fast!

All in a week's adventure! So, last week was a team week. We had a team made up of 7 different people from 3 different states. Let's just say they were all a blessing and we enjoyed the journey of a week full of adventures that definitely make your heart beat fast! I can speak for everyone that our quiet time and worship/discussion times were most meaningful. A lesson learned for me on this journey has been that it's not about me being in Peru "doing" things for God. God simply wants me to "BE" here with Him and just live out life with Him and engage with Him in what HE is already doing. Some highlights of our "being with God" week included community ministry where at 3 different churches we (the ladies) had the opportunity of pampering the women with manicures and pedicures. No matter where you are in the world, ladies like to have their nails pretty! A special moment for me was when I was able to give Pastora Alicia a manicure and then through our wonderful translator Eka, I was able to pray with Pastora...a moment I won't soon forget! At one of the churches we were invited to that pastors house after for coffee and toast w/jam.  I was excited for the invite and knew we couldn't turn it down but I'd also had to send our translator and another girl back to the home for the sponsorship dinner...so here we were following the pastor down the streets to her house...Dave was calling me telling me he was coming to get us and we were on a time crunch, I had no idea where we were to tell him how to find us, I couldn't communicate to ask where we were (thankfully one of the team girls knew more Spanish than me!) I knew that the pastor was making coffee for us with not so great water...prayed over that! It was crazy! Crazy but fun too to share his special time with these women! They were going from home to home to get enough mugs for all of us...I love the community living here, everyone shares! That evening was a special night! Another night we were going to Ola Grande for dinner and I was in the 2nd crew of people being transported. I was walking past the lil chica's room when I was asked by one of the girls if I would come do their hair for dinner. After ok-ing it with he house mom, I went into their bathroom to find 6 lil girls standing in front of the mirror getting all ready to go out to eat for dinner! Girls will be girls! :) on Wednesday, we went to a community right across the highway for a VBS and for the ladies pampering day. Let's just say the whole set up/prep time was a bit chaotic! When we finally got the ladies area set up and 4of us had just sat down to give manicures, the pastor runs by saying there is a fire! One of the homes in the area caught fire due to propane gas...and it spread to 3 other homes. The ladies we were working on ran out to go help. Later we found out that many people showed up and did the bucket brigade to help-a great example of community. It made me smile when the ladies returned after it was over to finish getting their nails done! So cute! Another super fun adventure on Friday was a trip to the local dairy farm! As we were piling in the van to go someone asked me what we were doing...I told them we are following Panchito and Rosa's lead, whatever they tell us to do, we will do! Well, that landed us in shoveling "fertilizer" if ya know what I mean! Ha! First we were outside the stalls....then Rosa says "follow me" into the stall with the cows AND with a cow that was in labor giving birth! I kept saying...is his really happening??? Hahaha! We couldn't quit laughing! Oh the adventures! Never a dull moment! We had a great week and I so enjoyed engaging in all that God was doing! it definitely was a make-your-heart-beat-fast kinda week! I'm finding that I crave that and that when you just "BE" with Christ, the adventures never stop! Dave has been challenging us all to "live in the moment" and I'm finding that as I do that, my life is so full...there's no room for worry...only room for faith in Christ and confidence in His Sovereignty! I've found as I've journeyed here that the only regret I've had is that I wish I would worry less and trust more! Because He is trustworthy and can be trusted with every detail of my life! I will close by quoting something Tony Kay said to me back in the beginning "God wants us to worship Him in the present instead of worrying about the future." I've made this my life-long goal. I don't want to miss out on right here, right now because of worry! I choose to worship Him right where He has me and to soak up EVERYTHING He is doing in THIS moment! 

Church

I have really enjoyed my time at the church we attend here: Camina da Vida. It feels like my home church. The worship is amazing. I have experienced the power in the presence of God in ways like never before. Even when I cannot completely understand the words, I hear His voice speak into my heart and challenge and comfort me. We are blessed that they have English translation in headsets along with having a couple guest English speaking pastors visit. I thought I'd share some lessons I've learned from the different services we have attended. A couple of the quotes are from our devotion times with Rob E when Gateway was here. I'm grateful that we have a great church here to attend as well! God is Good! CDV  Opportunity always has to do with expanding the kingdom of God. Obedience Let God prepare your life(potter/clay)  Discipline Sacrifice Work Asking for help may clarify the next step of your life-John 19 God does amazing things in our lives when we are brave enough to ask the questions! Ask! -Rob E. In places of greatest failure is when Gods grace is seen the most. Once you "deserve" grace, it's no longer grace. When you release grace, grace releases you. Grace is most appealing when grace is most apparent. Gods favor does not depend on you, it depends on God. Raise your expectations on God...He is Able!