Peru ~ Reflections (Part Two)

As I am sure you can tell by the previous pictures that this mission trip was not a traditional mission trip.

We stayed in a college dorm when in Lima and at resort when we were in Cieneguilla. We had hot showers, warm beds, coffee and fresh flavor filled meals.

The trip in and of itself was not physically challenging.

However, the places the Lord would take us, the things he would ask us to do and the ways He stretched us far from our comfort zones were at times excruciatingly challenging.

But unbelievably rewarding!!!

The Peruvians were real. They were honest. They were inquisitive. They were eager. And they were hungry.

But they ~ like the old saying goes ~ "didn't care how much we knew until they knew how much we cared".

Just because of bunch of Americans were coming in to teach them English through the Gospel didn't mean they were going to buy into it. They wanted to know why we believed what we believed and how that truth applied to them. They weren't just going to accept it because we said it. They wanted us to prove it.

It was amazing!!!

When asked the question "if you died tonight where do you think you would go"? Many admitted they would probably go to hell.

That crushed me to my very core! I wept for my new friends who didn't have the Saving Knowledge of Eternal Life with a Heavenly Father who loved them SO much that He gave His only Son for them.

We continued to share the gospel message and build relationships. We fellowshipped over meals and through recreational sports. We laughed we cried.

And over the 3 day camp we saw hearts soften, minds changed, eyes opened, souls tender...

It was simply miraculous...I have NO words...Lives were eternally changed, Forever Saved...when the alter call was given and these new friends stood up and accepted Jesus as their Personal Lord and Savior I knew that I just experienced a real modern day miracle.

These folks came to learn English. Just English!!! And they left with a promise of Eternal Life, a free gift of Salvation and the comfort of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct thier every step ~ long after us Americans boarded our plane and headed back to the States....