Third Time's a Charm! (A.K.A. Returning to Peru)

     When I was a little girl and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, sometimes I would say a vet, or an astronaut, or something like that. Doesn't every kid want to be those things at some point in time? But there was one response I would give to that question that I simply can't explain.
     "When I grow up, I want to be a missionary in Peru."
     What? Where in the world did that come from? Brazil would have been a more logical destination, given that my dad grew up there and half of my extended family still lives there. I had literally no connections to Peru. Maybe I wanted to go there because of the llamas at first, IDK. Looking back, however, I think the reason goes a lot deeper than that.
     Some of my favorite verses are found in Psalm 37:3-7:

  "Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 

 Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this: 

 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

 Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him" (NIV)

     Now, I don't think these verses mean that God is like a genie, giving us everything we desire all the time. I desire chocolate most of the time, but that doesn't mean that God's going to make it miraculously appear in front of me :) I think it may mean that God gives us certain special desires- deep, unexplainable ones- and He will fulfill them in His time and in His way!
     I ended up going to Peru for about 2 weeks in 2010 with my dad:

      And again in 2012 with my whole family:

     
AND IN THREE DAYS I'M GOING BACK FOR A THIRD TIME!!!!! :D :D :D So. Stinkin'. Excited! God has opened the door once more for me to go to the country I love so much. Here are a few random points/prayer requests about the 2014 trip:
     * Praise that God provided the rest of our team's financial support in the past week!
     * Caleb and I (the only one's from our family going this time) will be able to meet the little girl our family sponsors! Her name is Fabiana :)
     * There is a lot of work still to be done, for me anyway (I put the PRO in procrastination sometimes!). Pray that all will get done in an unstressful way...
     * Our team will be doing evangelistic outreach along with Peruvian youth group for a couple days, something we have not done in the past.
     * Pray that we will be selflessly devoted to God's will, ready to change lives and be changed!

ALL GLORY TO GOD!
Be back on the 21st!