Sunday night I had an opportunity to go with Allison 8 hours away by bus to a city in the mountains called Huaraz. I've been here over 4 months and it was my first time to get out of Lima. The reason Allison had to go on this trip was to take some money for the after death expesnses to a lady in Carhuaz, a city about an hour combi ride away from Huaraz. Allison took money to this family a few weeks ago for the surgery of the lady's husband. The 32 year old pastor surprisingly died during surgery, leaving his 28 year old wife of a year and a half and his 8 month old baby girl. Yesterday morning Allison had so many problems getting the money out. We both were unsure about it, so we sat down on a busy, dirty sidewalk and prayed about it and got out our Bibles. We weren't able to get the money, but James 1:27 led us to go visit Inela without the money. When we got there, she came out and just started crying (her husband died 1.5 weeks ago). I had never met the lady and tears started rolling down my face- I thought I was going to have to go outside. Well, it turns out that she has 6 months of payments for the cemetary and whatever else, and the amount she needs is 1/7 of the amount Allison was going to take her. What a blessing that we weren't able to get the money out. Allison was able to get the right amount out today and a pastor in Huaraz will take it to her. God is already leading in ways for the rest of the money to be used.
After that we were able to go to an area that was so quiet- not a single person around, just trees, green grass, water, and mountains. In Lima there's not a single place I can go outside and have peace and quiet, clear air, and not a single person around. It was such a blessing to be able to get out there with just us and our Bibles. Praise God for a couple days away.
There were so many neat people we got to talk to and listen to. I wish there was a way to describe the randomness of Peru and it's people, but you wouln't understand. There have been so many times in the past 4 months that I have been with Allison or Autumn and we just have to look at each other and laugh b/c some things are so strange. The whole trip was a blessing...but at the same time, it was nice to realize on this first trip out, that as I was excited to be back home, I was not picturing some place in the States, but my home here in Lima.
6 comments:
Glad that you could get out and had the opportunity to see other parts of Peru. I'm sure Allison is good company! :)
I don't quite understand why she was taking money...a cemetary??
Congrats on feeling "at home" in Peru! :) Hope you get more opportunities to spend time with the Lord in His beautiful creation without distractions! Love you!
i'm so glad you were able to go to a new place! that must've been nice to get away for a couple of days. i hope the lady is doing ok, that's so sad.
Ah, how nice! Ditto on others comments. I'm so glad you got to explore a new place and that God blessed you.
PS-I like your t-shirt!
Melanie, I'm glad that you are feeling "at home" here in Lima. Besitos, Judy
i'm glad you're feeling at home in lima too, but you better not forget that you still gotta come finish seminary with me! :) that is such an inspiring story, It seems like God works that way very often...through means we dont understand. How horrible it must have seemed not to be able to give that lady any money, but then when you found out the situation, you realized it was a miracle that you didn't! God is always in control, even times when we feel like we have lost all control! I see that in my own life every day...it is amazing to me how God seems to have everything under control waaay in advance...but at this point maybe that shouldn't be amazing to me any more, it should be normal! (sorry for that huuuuge run-on sentence!)
welp, i miss ya melly belly!
Glad you got to find a quiet, serene place to spend time with yourself and the Lord. That's so cool you think of Peru as home now.
Post a Comment