My Lessons

I've narrowed my learning experiences for this trip into 4 basic lessons. Of course there's so much not addressed here in terms of knowing God's sovereignty and accepting His justice even if it doesn't make sense to us - experiencing the lives of these people whose lives were torn apart by the earthquake - serving God every step of the way and trusting that He is faithful to protect both our team and my family at home.

I read a book on this trip called Cold Tangerines, that was recommended by my friend Rachel. It is a collection of short stories about how everyday life can be seen as extraordinary with the influence of God's love. I'm going to quote this book a few times here as the author's words seem to capture my heart better than my own words would.

1. Copper Pennies - In Cold Tangerines, the author talked about how once you start collecting something you notice them everywhere you look. She compared this to the little pennies that God puts in our path to say "What can I do today to remind you again how much I love you and how good this life is?". God certainly met me in this manner and showed me in tiny, tangible ways that He purposely places gifts meant specifically for me into my day just to say "I love you, Carrie'. During the church service where we were working in Ica, a mother went forward to pray and I offered to hold her baby. This 4-month old baby boy was so precious and I just held him and prayed blessings and protection over him for the remainder of the service. That was a gift directly for my heart as I missed my own babies. In Cold Tangerines she says "It is rebellious to choose joy, to choose to dance, to choose to love your life".

2. 100% - During our team debrief/processing time one evening we were singing a song by Lifehouse called Everything. The words we sang included
You're all I want, you're all I need. You're everything, everything.
How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
Being able to sing these words with all of my heart and mean it in spite of being away from what I thought I need and want most in this world was an incredible experience. God is IT. 100% of me wants to live for His glory and I want to see myself consumed to reflect nothing but him everyday in everything. I want my life to be "The act of life lifting up and becoming an act of worship and celebration, a sacrament, an offering." and as in Cold Tangerines, the author notes "When you've tasted it, smelled it, fought for it, labored it into life, you'll give your soul to get a little more, and it's always worth it".

3. Community - God showed me a lot about community during this trip. Watching these students love on one another despite differences was amazing. The vulnerability and honesty they brought to the table shocked me and made it clear how as adults we stifle and hide so much of ourselves in an effort to avoid all vulnerability. God calls us to have a place of community where we can know others and be known by those people - completely. I will be seeking harder to find this community and create the space needed for honesty among us. Cold Tangerines puts it this way, "The truest thing is making a life with God, with honor, honesty and community. It demands that we release the need to be the best."

4. Challenge - I believe my biggest challenge is in telling my story honestly. God has made it clear to me that I was not sent to Peru so that I can come back and tell everyone how fabulous Machu Picchu was. That is not my story - at least not all of it. I am to take this opportunity to present the truth and share my heart with other people. To be vulnerable and take the risk of opening myself, my experiences and my beliefs to the people who surround me.

God has been revealing himself to me so personally, and I love it. May this journey continue to consume me leaving me changed in every possible way.