Trust in the Power.
Living outside of the United States for almost four years has increased a lifestyle of flexibility that would make most typical stateside adults cringe.
As much as I LOVE that I can blame being late on the fact that I lived in Honduras for 3 years, and now Peru 6 months... I have developed a strange necessity for order, and often become agitated if things do not go as planned... I know. If you know me, you are most likely thinking "HA! I'll believe it when I see it"... but it's TRUE. Not sure what happened, I'm not super excited about this slight personality change. However, I think it must "come with the job". #adulting #thestruggleisreal
OK, to the story. Last Thursday, Rachel and I set out to visit one of our beloveds about 1,000 feet up from where we live.
We could not get in touch with her mother, but as is our culture, we decided to drop in anyway.
We hopped off our bus, eager to see our precious friend (extremely proud of ourselves for remembering where to get off, only having visited once before).
We walked down, then up, then down, then up again, through the mud, through trees, through a soccer field and finally through a potato field to a quaint Quechua home with the most incredible view.
To our disappointment, the house was completely locked up and no one was home. A few minutes after playing with a baby cow in their yard, a neighbor about 200 yards away, yelled to us that no one was home, the family was not in town.
Rachel and I sat on a couple stones amidst a field of trigo and prayed.
Lord, what do we do. We know (well, we trust) we didn't come all the way up here for nothing.
*SIDENOTE: I think sometimes one of my favorite things about following Jesus is the fact that we are not in control. We are completely at His disposal. He doesn't need us. Yet He CHOOSES to invite us in to be blessed by the work He longs to do in others' lives.
Lately, I have felt myself slipping down a dark hole of trying to be in control. Trying to make the right decisions, that will make me look good. That will make our work here in Peru look good. Trying to figure everything out the moment it looks like there might be a bump in the road.
In this moment, sitting in a small valley on a mountain top, staring at a grassy mountain backdrop... I felt an immense Peace fall on us.
Ok, Jesus. We are at your disposal. Use us in this small village however you see fit.
We began walking down the hill to the neighbor that had so kindly informed us our friend was not home. As we approached her house, it began to sprinkle. And then RAIN. Don't worry, we had raincoats. So we were like, BRING IT ON.
We walked up to the neighbor's fence, tried to talk to her, she was not interested and went inside (can't blame her as it was now pouring).
So we kept following our path, looking for whatever it was the Lord had for us.
We next ran into a small family working in a potato field, we waved, they waved back and seemed very friendly.
They began to run toward us, and motioned for us to follow them under the nearest roof. We followed.
After a few exchanges of random small talk, we asked if they knew any deaf in their village. They seemed to be a little confused.. and that is when the family informed us that they didn't speak Spanish very well, they spoke Quechua. Rachel and I were fascinated so we naturally asked them to teach us a phrase. OK. Quechua is no joke. I have no idea what they said, or tried to teach us. But when we asked what the phrase meant, the man explained it was a greeting, including a blessing from God.
"Oh! Are you christians?" I asked.
"Yes, yes we are. And you?"
"Yes we are. Actually we are here searching for the deaf, to teach them sign language and about Jesus and His grand love for them." I explained.
"Oh wow, well, I am the pastor of the church here, and it's a Center for all people from the surrounding mountains to come to if they need help. I translate the bible and preachings and praise sounds from Spanish to Quechua. You should come see my church, and we have an area for people to stay and sleep when they need it. Also my sister is deaf, and my cousin is deaf, and I think I know more deaf. I travel to all the villages in the surrounding mountains, I will ask where all the deaf are."
UM. WHAT.
I cannot make this stuff up.
We were stunned.
With mouths wide open, we followed him to his beautiful church where he read us the bible in Quechua, and even sang us a few Quechua praise songs.
"My church is your home. Please come here when you need. And when you teach the deaf, you are welcome here to use the building, it is your home."
I have been praying Isaiah 30:18-26 the last couple weeks, especially verse 21: "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."
What a peace He has given us to know that HE is the one guiding us, we just have to listen for His still small voice.
It is my prayer that you feel this Peace, whatever situation you find yourself in, that you hear His word behind you, leading and guiding you into His everlasting arms of Love.
I will leave you with this quote from Rev. George Granville Bradley
"One thought, and only one, is brought into the foreground. The world is full of mysteries, strange, unapproachable, overpowering mysteries that you cannot read.
Trust, trust in the power and in the wisdom, and in the goodness of Him, the Almighty One, who rules it."
As much as I LOVE that I can blame being late on the fact that I lived in Honduras for 3 years, and now Peru 6 months... I have developed a strange necessity for order, and often become agitated if things do not go as planned... I know. If you know me, you are most likely thinking "HA! I'll believe it when I see it"... but it's TRUE. Not sure what happened, I'm not super excited about this slight personality change. However, I think it must "come with the job". #adulting #thestruggleisreal
OK, to the story. Last Thursday, Rachel and I set out to visit one of our beloveds about 1,000 feet up from where we live.
We could not get in touch with her mother, but as is our culture, we decided to drop in anyway.
We hopped off our bus, eager to see our precious friend (extremely proud of ourselves for remembering where to get off, only having visited once before).
We walked down, then up, then down, then up again, through the mud, through trees, through a soccer field and finally through a potato field to a quaint Quechua home with the most incredible view.
To our disappointment, the house was completely locked up and no one was home. A few minutes after playing with a baby cow in their yard, a neighbor about 200 yards away, yelled to us that no one was home, the family was not in town.
Rachel and I sat on a couple stones amidst a field of trigo and prayed.
Lord, what do we do. We know (well, we trust) we didn't come all the way up here for nothing.
*SIDENOTE: I think sometimes one of my favorite things about following Jesus is the fact that we are not in control. We are completely at His disposal. He doesn't need us. Yet He CHOOSES to invite us in to be blessed by the work He longs to do in others' lives.
Lately, I have felt myself slipping down a dark hole of trying to be in control. Trying to make the right decisions, that will make me look good. That will make our work here in Peru look good. Trying to figure everything out the moment it looks like there might be a bump in the road.
In this moment, sitting in a small valley on a mountain top, staring at a grassy mountain backdrop... I felt an immense Peace fall on us.
Ok, Jesus. We are at your disposal. Use us in this small village however you see fit.
We began walking down the hill to the neighbor that had so kindly informed us our friend was not home. As we approached her house, it began to sprinkle. And then RAIN. Don't worry, we had raincoats. So we were like, BRING IT ON.
We walked up to the neighbor's fence, tried to talk to her, she was not interested and went inside (can't blame her as it was now pouring).
So we kept following our path, looking for whatever it was the Lord had for us.
We next ran into a small family working in a potato field, we waved, they waved back and seemed very friendly.
They began to run toward us, and motioned for us to follow them under the nearest roof. We followed.
After a few exchanges of random small talk, we asked if they knew any deaf in their village. They seemed to be a little confused.. and that is when the family informed us that they didn't speak Spanish very well, they spoke Quechua. Rachel and I were fascinated so we naturally asked them to teach us a phrase. OK. Quechua is no joke. I have no idea what they said, or tried to teach us. But when we asked what the phrase meant, the man explained it was a greeting, including a blessing from God.
"Oh! Are you christians?" I asked.
"Yes, yes we are. And you?"
"Yes we are. Actually we are here searching for the deaf, to teach them sign language and about Jesus and His grand love for them." I explained.
"Oh wow, well, I am the pastor of the church here, and it's a Center for all people from the surrounding mountains to come to if they need help. I translate the bible and preachings and praise sounds from Spanish to Quechua. You should come see my church, and we have an area for people to stay and sleep when they need it. Also my sister is deaf, and my cousin is deaf, and I think I know more deaf. I travel to all the villages in the surrounding mountains, I will ask where all the deaf are."
UM. WHAT.
I cannot make this stuff up.
We were stunned.
With mouths wide open, we followed him to his beautiful church where he read us the bible in Quechua, and even sang us a few Quechua praise songs.
"My church is your home. Please come here when you need. And when you teach the deaf, you are welcome here to use the building, it is your home."
I have been praying Isaiah 30:18-26 the last couple weeks, especially verse 21: "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."
What a peace He has given us to know that HE is the one guiding us, we just have to listen for His still small voice.
It is my prayer that you feel this Peace, whatever situation you find yourself in, that you hear His word behind you, leading and guiding you into His everlasting arms of Love.
I will leave you with this quote from Rev. George Granville Bradley
"One thought, and only one, is brought into the foreground. The world is full of mysteries, strange, unapproachable, overpowering mysteries that you cannot read.
Trust, trust in the power and in the wisdom, and in the goodness of Him, the Almighty One, who rules it."
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| We sat in this precious and listened to the rain and our new Pastor friend read to us in his beloved Quechua language. |
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| I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD." Psalm 122:1 |
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| The beautiful Quechua Word |
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| Oh yeah. The pastor's wife is making us our very own Quechua skirts and shawls. 😍 |
So thankful you wrote this down so that we will remember this stepping stone He put so strategically in place for us ... and which you found only because you DIDN'T GIVE UP. Thanks for living out Galatas 6.9 for us, and for having a winner's attitude - those attitudes always prove beneficial - whether we see the benefit immediately or never...the benefit IS there. Gosh I love you!
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