We got out of our comfort zones today and entered the zone of the unknown – where we literally had no idea what would happen, putting our trust in the Lord! Activation, also known as ‘Ask The Lord’, is when we ask the Lord what He wants us to do and what He wants us to say to us. We then go out on ministry in pursuit of the people or things that God put on our hearts. After a teaching session in the morning, we talked about how to hear the Lord’s voice and then practiced with a partner. My partner and I both had a hard time at first and didn’t think we heard anything...

Living Simply to Live Tomorrow, the 18th of July, we leave for the states. It’s crazy how quick this trip went by. So much happened in just three weeks! When all of us first met at training camp we were all strangers, but now we are all family. I’ve made so many connections with my teammates and with the people of Peru; it will be so hard to say goodbye. The Peruvian people are the people I wish Americans were like. When we would walk through their villages, they would invite us into their home and give us their full attention while we talked about the love of Jesus. Most Americans...

The Little Chicken             I was seated on the wooden stairs leading up from the river on the farm in Peru when God spoke to me. At the time, I was reading from Proverbs 6. As I read I was distracted by the crying chirp of a little chick. The chick was all alone with a hurt leg on top of a steep hill. The mother hen was at the bottom of the hill with the other chicks leading them to food. The little chick was going berserk. He was very persistent in keeping me from my devotion. As the mother hen heard her chick she began to call back. Making her way up the hill...

Since 8th grade I have struggled with anxiety and OCD. I go through phases of what I obsess about, and one that has stuck around since last year is germ phobia. I was scared to touch certain things and obsessively washed my hands. It has been almost heightened on this trip since I can’t wash my hands and am rewearing dirty clothes. The other night during worship, Alex said to lift up anything you’ve been holding onto. I started just begging the Lord to take away my fear. “This fear is not You and if it’s not You I don’t want it” Just repeatedly asking the...

If someone had told me a few months ago that I would be walking barefoot in the jungle in Costa Rica, through the kind of thick mud that pulls your shoes off, carrying the literal fruit of our labor (we plucked cacao fruit with our own hands), I would have probably laughed at the idea. Yet, here I am doing just that, sitting here as it softly rains with my new family that I never imagined I would have– even after only knowing each other for a short time. Everyday I am reminded of just how amazing God truly is while experiencing his beautiful world. I feel blessed to be working as his hands...

This past week has shown me so much love.  Watching the girls on this team and the response of the children at the Care Points is so amazin.  No matter if it is one child or ten wanting attention each one just makes room for one more.  The hugs these children give are so big.  I am reminded how Jesus continues to open His arms and always welcome one more.