Hola from Chachapoya!!

Just wanted to give everyone an update from Peru. I am typing on a computer in an internet cafe so the keys are different from ours, so please excuse all the mistakes. We made it to Chachapoya around 12:30 Sunday night. The travel was not nearly as bad as I thought is was going to be. I did have a problem Saturday night. As we were loading the bus after we got into Lima, we were all standing around with our luggage, and apparently someone stole my backpack. Thankfully, I was wearing my passport and had all of my money in my pocket. I was so upset Saturday night, but once I got some rest and calmed down, I realized that there was nothing in my backpack that I absolutely needed. I lost my cell phone and a couple of other things that I can replace. The majority of the things in my bag were my Bibles, both English and Spanish, tracts, and my Spanish songs that Courtney had been teaching us, my food (yes, everyone, I am okay with out my food - I do have my pop tarts : ) !!! The person who got my bag is probably very disappointed. I just am praying that he/she reads the things in my bag.

Enough of that stuff, today we went to the small village of Huancas (pronounced Wonkas). Some of us were in the medical clinic and some were outside witness and praying with the people and playing with the kids. I help in the clinic today and we were able to help about 65. I was everything from a pharmacist to optometrist to nurse to receptionist. To me the glasses made a huge impact on the people who received them. To see their faces light up, when they could see. There were children who couldn´t even read the top line on the chart and to be able to help them at least see even the fourth line on the chart was just such an impact on their lives. The people were so grateful for what little help that we could give them. To see these people and the situations that they are living in, really makes me see how fortunate we as Americans have it. It is totally different world here. I can´t wait to share the pictures with you. I will share about one girl in particular. Betsy came into the clinic complaining that her heart was hurting. The more they asked her questions, John and Teresa determine that she was suffering from depression. She said that her "heart was empty¨". Lynn and the interpreter were able to talk to her and she accepted Christ as her Savior. Please pray for her.

Tomorrow, we will be going to Tingo. We will be going into the schools doing activities and sharing the gospel with the children there (both elementary and high school), setting up a medical clinic again, and having church services that night. Please remember us as we present the gospel and provide medical attention the people there. Please pray that we will have the medicines that we need to help the people. The worst feelings we felt today was when we didn´t have the right medicine to give the people. For many of these people, this is the only medical treatment that can receive b/c they can travel to Chachapoya (only 20 minutes away) to receive help.

I can´t add pictures from here, but I will definitely be adding some when we get back.

Thanks for all your prayers.

Peru is almost here!

Well, I am now basically two days away from leaving for Peru, and I am really getting excited. Still a little nervous, but very excited to see what God is going to do on this trip. For those of you who do not know, I will be leaving Saturday on a mission trip with my church to travel to Chachapoya, Peru, which is located in the Andes Mountains. We will be working in several villages close to Chachapoya. As with any mission trip, we don't know many details about the schedule of events; however, God knows exactly what we will be doing each and every day. One day we are scheduled to be working in a medical clinic to provide care to the people of Tingo. Our biggest prayer concern with that is that we will have enough medical supplies to help the people there. We don't want to have to turn anyone away due to lack of supplies. We will also probably be having revival services at night at the local church. Other than that, we really don't know. We are leaving all the details up to God. I know that we will be exactly where He wants us to be.

We had our last planning meeting tonight and almost everyone was there. There is such a diverse group of people going (senior adults down to a 6th grader and everyone in between), but there is just such a sweet spirit already amongst us. God has already amazed us at how He has worked out the details for this trip for everyone.

Please pray for our safe travel. We will be flying out of Atlanta into Lima. From Lima we will be boarding a bus for 24 hours to travel into the mountain regions (Yes, I said 24 hours!!!!) We leave at 8:00 Saturday morning and don't arrive to Chachapoya until Monday morning around 2:00 a.m. Do you understand why I am a little nervous??

I guess that is all for now. I haven't started packing yet, so I guess I probably need to get started sometime soon. We are supposed to have internet access while there, so I hope to update my blog as much as I can. If not, I will have lots of pictures and stories to share when I get back. I cherish each of your prayers while I am gone.

God's Incredible Love

God is truly amazing!! I am just in awe of his incredible love for me that I so do not deserve. He is constantly drawing me back to Him and showing me His love more and more. The fact that He takes us just as we are (our past, present, and future) and loves us beyond what our minds can even comprehend is just awesome. I have struggled a lot in my life and continue to struggle with doubt. I have struggled with doubting my salvation, but Praise His Holy Name, He has conquered that doubt. I continue to deal with doubting how much God truly loves me and trying to "do" things for God to earn His love. The amazing thing about God is that we can't do anything to make God love us any more or less than He already does. HE IS LOVE!! One of my favorite verses comes from I John 3:1, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" I pray that everyone who reads this knows how much God truly loves them.

Three of my Favorite People

On Monday, I got to spend the day with three of my favorite people, John James, Madi and Brady. The day didn't start off too well, but it ended up being one of the best days. I went home to Louisville this past weekend and the plan was for Madi and Brady to ride with me to Columbus Monday morning and then their mom was going to pick them up later. She was coming with her aunt to the doctor. Well, Madi and Brady did not like that idea, so Jenni ended up riding with us. We met John James at McDonalds for lunch and then off to Jumpin G's we went. They got in there and never looked back. We stayed there for a couple of hours and they literally did not stop running the whole time. They had a blast, and so did I. I even climbed the big slide and went down with them. Needless to say, I was sore the next morning. How could climbing up a slide three or four times make me so sore?! I guess it is called getting old!! We then went back to my house and played some more. By this time, Madi didn't even want her mom to come back. Such a major change from eight hours ago!

I am so blessed to have these children and so many other children in my life. Although I don't have any children of my own, God has blessed me by allowing me to be apart of the lives of these children and their families. Thanks for sharing your children with me!!

"Sing, barren woman, who has never had a baby. Fill the air with song, you who've never experienced childbirth! You're ending up with far more children than all those childbearing women." God says so! - Isaiah 54:1 (The Message)

Here the are showing each other the love or choking each other one!

Madi getting ready to slide!

BB and John James at McDonalds

Headed to Peru in One Month

Well, we are one month away from leaving to go to the mountain regions of Peru for a mission trip. There are about 22 people from our church who will be leaving on July 12th and returning on July 20th to travel to Chachapoya, Peru in the Andes Mountains. I just ask that all of you who are willing to pray please begin now for us. Satan is going to do all he can to distracted us from God's purpose on this trip. I have felt it in my life already. We need all the prayers that we can get to be able to stand firm in God's power against the enemy. Please pray for our boldness and courage as we bring the gospel to this area.

Rick and Bubba

Today, Rick and Bubba were in Columbus on their book tour. My cousin, Rhonda, who apparently is a big fan of theirs, drove from Louisville to see them. She e-mailed me a couple of days ago and asked me if I wanted to come meet her there. We had the best time! Rhonda got to Kroger at 3:30 today and they did not arrive until 5:30. Yes, we were the very 1st people in line. She was so nervous that she was making me, Jamie and Hayden nervous too. It was so great to meet Rick and Bubba in person. They are just as nice in person as they are on the radio. It is great to have such men of God on the radio everyday sharing about our Saviour.

Enjoy the pictures!!

Rhonda nervously waiting for Rick and Bubba!

Hayden and Jamie with their balloons, t-shirt, and book!

Me and Rick and Bubba!!!

Speedy and all of us!

D and all of us!

Welcome to Outrigger Island!!!!!

Aloha from Vacation Bible School!! As you can probably tell from the pictures, we are travelling to Hawaii in VBS. I am helping with one of the 5 year old classes and we had 18 kids today in our class. Let's just say, they are a very busy class, but each day seems to be a little better. Enjoy the pictures!

This is Addison and Emily in front of our tiki hut.

I know, what were we thinking putting sand in our room?

But we are at the beach. We had to have sand.

Today, we made hula skirts. They enjoyed dancing the hula!