How many times does God have to prove something to me before I will believe Him?

Our culture is all about being in control of your own future. You study study study in High School so you can get into college. You work hard in College so you can get a good job. You work long hours at your job so that you can make enough money so you can provide for yourself. You are considered strong if you are self-sufficient and self-reliant.

It is so hard for me to surrender. Its so hard for me to not have control. Sometinmes there are things I want so much...which all usually have to do with going to Peru ;) ...that I dont want to surrender, because I feel like if I lose control of the situation, if I surrender it to God, then it won't happen. I am a firm believer in the fact that if it is in God's will, then nothing can get in the way of it happening. In other words, if I'm supposed to go, I'll go.

But still I'm scared, because I have that worry in the back of my mind that maybe God doesn't want me to go. And if I give it to Him, that I won't get what I want(as if by keeping it myself, I would somehow be able to get what I want)! I know God has his BEST plans for me, and he's proved to me time and time again that his plans are so much greater than mine...so why cant It just give it up already?

Back to 'normal' life

Right now, I'm sitting at my new desk in my dorm room at Asbury University. Life has been a whirlwind ever since I got back from Peru...catching up with friends, shopping for school supplies, and making sure I had everything I needed for college took up a lot of my time. It almost seems unreal to me that I'm back in the States, and its sadly funny how quickly I seem to be able to fall back into my old routine.

I really don't realize how lucky I am. It seemed like with every person I sat down and talked to for awhile in Peru this summer we ended up talking about college. Each of these people have some great plan with what they would like to do in their life...the majority were directly ministry related..great things for God, but they would have to go to college first. And there is where the problem lies. Even with working and going to college, they couldn't afford it. And here's the part that hit me...it costs $1,500 a year. Shall I even begin on how much my school costs a year?

It makes me really think about what opportunities I have, and makes me want make the most of them.



Well back to Peru..

For the last several days before I left, I stayed with my friend Carmen who is also a translator. (Her dad works for Scripture Union and is very involved with the deaf ministry.) The morning before I left I woke up to find the cutest little boy sitting at the dining room table. I greeted him, said good morning, but he didn't respond.

A little later Carmen's dad explained to me that he is deaf. The little boy and I played together a lot that morning and I even learned a couple signs so we could communicate. This little boy was so happy, and when we would play games together, he would let out this high-pitched laugh that was so contagious.

Evidently he was new at learning sign language. Just months before, he had been extremely bad-behaved and had even kicked his mother. But after being taught a language, and learning how to communicate, this boy seemed like an entirely new person!

In recent years, rights for the deaf have come along way in Peru. In 1989, deaf people were legally allowed to get married for the first time. And just this year, sign language was recognized as a language...which means that for the first time, translation for deaf children in classrooms is recognized as a real job and translators can be paid for their work!

This is one ministry of Scripture Union that Ive gotten to learn a lot about this summer as I have taken quite a few groups to the deaf center in Lima.

And just like with everything, you can hear all the facts and stories in the world, but when you actually meet a deaf child, that is when it stops being a story, and becomes real.

So on my last day in Peru, I decided that I wanted to go home and learn sign language. 80% of Peruvian Sign Language is based of American signs, so I hope if I start learning here, I'll be able to communicate a bit next year! :)

So, after trying to find a Spanish Church near Wilmore, KY, finding a place that teaches sign language is at the top of my list of things to look for in my new home!

Thank you for all of you who have followed me along my journey this summer, supported me financially, and prayed for me. I couldn't have done it without you. I'll be making a video as well as a thank you letter to send out as soon as my limited amount of free time allows as classes start on Monday, and two volleyball practices a day occupy a good deal of time between now and then..prayer for that is appreciated as well! Thank you!

In Christ,
Catherine

The Final Stretch

It seems unreal to me that almost two months have passed and I am at the end of my trip. The things that I can say that I've done on this trip are things I would never have imagined myself doing before I left. Yet through each circumstance, God has made it so clear that it is only through Him that I can do what is required of me. I have learned just how much I must rely on him just to get through my day. I've learned that when there is no one else around, I do have someone very real and ever-present that I can turn to. And as my trip is nearing its end, my reliance on Him will be tested again as I leave this place that I love so much. No matter where I go and what I do, a piece of my heart will always stay right here. Thankfully I have a God who is not bound by country borders or oceans and who has a heart for the children of this country. And wherever I go, I have someone who knows my heart better that I do. He is. always. faithful.

Thank you so much for your prayer and support.

I look forward to being able to share with you more about my trip when I see you!





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Creator God you gave me breath so I could praise
Your great and matchless name
all my days, all my days
So let my whole life be a blazing offering
A life that shouts and sings the greatness of the King

the journey continues

I think it is safe to say that I have a new favorite place in the world. The thing I like about what I am doing is that I get to visit the different homes multiple times, which makes saying goodbye a little easier. Last night I just said goodbye to some of my favorite kids in the world for the last time this year. I cant tell you how much I will miss all the smiles, the dancing, the hugs, the kids...I feel like I´ve gotten to know some of them pretty well even though Ive only been with them for a week at a time.



For those of you who dont know, on the day before the group was scheduled to leave, the group leader, Elaine, one of the most loving, gracious, and strongest woman I have ever met was injured at the end of the work day. She slipped and hit her leg very bad and we ended up taking her to the hospital.

I ended up staying with her for three days to translate for the doctors and her. God continues to prove himself faithful, beacause while this is something I would have never felt comfortable volunteering for, I felt very confident about it while I was there and we never ran into any problems. They let Elaine out of the hospital yesterday, we threw her a surprise goodbye party with the boys, and we left on the overnight Super Cama (a very nice bus that has beds for seats) and made it here to Lima at 7 this morning.

They're getting ready to rejoin the group at Kawai in a few minutes. Thank you for your continued prayers.

In Christ,
Catherine

Prayer Request

Hey guys! I would really appreciate your prayers over the next couple days. Im the only translator for a group leader who got injured on the worksite in Kusi and is in the hospital and I'm going to have to make some important decisions in the next couple days, pleease pray i understand everything and can explain everything well.

Thanks for your prayers.

Lots of love,

Catherine

Vagabundeando en Miraflores

The team from SouthLake Church left for the airport last night. It was so good to see familiar faces and get to spend time with people from home. We had two quite eventful bus journeys, lots of sickness (thankfully, I have been sickness-free so far!), and a great VBS and lessons in the schools. I'm definitely going to miss this special group of friends.



Today, I'm trying to figure out what exactly I'm going to do with this free day in Lima. Right now, I am enjoying a little taste of home as I grabbed breakfast at McDonald's and am using the WiFi here in Starbucks. I love the apartment that I am staying at right now as it is so close to the Ovalo Miraflores. This is the one part of Lima that I can say I actually really know and can find my way around relatively easily. I was quite excited when I didn't get lost on the way here this morning.

It is crazy to me that tomorrow I will have spent one month in Peru. The time has flown, and I feel like it wasn't too long ago that I arrived here in Lima. Thank you once again to all those who are praying for me. God's provision and protection for me is truly overwhelming. I know that this next month He will once again continue to prove himself faithful each day.

And, since Brazil has unfortunately been knocked out of the Copa Mundial, I will end my post with this:

VIVA ESPAÑA!!!!
GO SPAIN!!

My God ALWAYS has better plans than I do :)

I just got back from a wonderful four days in Kusi...easily one of my favorite places on earth.



I loved getting to know the boys better. The house parents Angel and Rosa are incredible examples to the boys of the love of Christ. There was a lot of hugging, tons of dancing--you should have seen the Scottish dances we did with the team from Vine Trust, and between "cosquillas", joking around, misunderstandings, Scottish accents and funny sounding words, there was a LOT of laughing on this trip. I am counting down the days until I can go back!

It was also fun to get to see the kids from the school where we SouthLake seniors did VBS! Some of the sweet little girls remembered my name and we danced to some fun songs in the classroom afterwards. Some of the boys surprised me by singing some of the songs we taught them back in May! I couldn't believe they still remembered! Nando, one of the girasoles who is in the class, said that they keep the CD of our music in the classroom and listen to it sometimes when they are doing their homework!





Yesterday, I was looking at the groups' schedule, and I saw they were headed for Puerto Alegria. Puerto Alegria is where I spent the majority of my time last year, and I told them how lucky they were that they were going to see those precious boys. I was definitely jealous! As we were talking, I realized that their trip to Iquitos (where Puerto Alegria is located) was a very short 3 days, including travel.

For the next three days, my schedule gives me exactly three free days by myself here in Lima. However, with everyone so busy with scheduling and coordinating all the group plans, I was sure that asking to go somewhere else would turn into more work...and that it was way too short of a notice to be planning a trip that would start at 6 AM the next morning. But I wanted to check just to be sure.

Anyway, one thing led to another and the next thing I knew, Billy Clark had given me permission to go, as long as I could get on the same flight as the rest of the group. I called Hilda, who scheduled the flights for Scripture Union, to see if there was an extra ticket. She told me she would check and get back to me once she found out whether or not the flight was booked.

So I was sitting there on the bus, half excited and half scared--trying to book a flight to Iquitos (a flight that doesn't depart too many times each day) hours before takeoff--a very slim chance of this happening. But as I was praying, asking God to please somehow get me on that plane, a sudden peace came over me. My God is the God who made the incredible mountains that we're driving through. He made the earth. With men, these things are impossible, but with God, all things are possible. My God is control of every single detail. Every single part of my life. He is the one who provides for me, provided for my trip, provides each new day he gives us. If he wants me to be in Puerto Alegria for three days, then there is nothing that can stop me. But if he doesn't want me there, then there is something different that he has for me.

Thirty minutes later, Hilda called back telling me there was still space on the plane. I got my ticket. Tomorrow at 6 AM I'm going back to Puerto Alegria!!

I could have never planned this on my own. Just when I think I've planned out how I want things, He always comes and shows me that He can do so much better.

Relying on God has been a big part of this trip. And it doesn't look like that is going to stop anytime soon!

Back from Kawai ... Off to Kusi!

I just got back from Kawai and now I am off to Kusi (in the mountains). I meet my group at 5:30 AM tomorrow and we'll be gone five days.

My few days in Lima

Over the last couple days I've had some free time here in Lima. Last year, I went right from one group to the next, so it's been nice to have a chance to catch my breath a bit! For someone who is VERY directionally challenged like myself, trying to figure out how to get from one place to another is quite the task...

More coming soon...gotta run to catch my taxi.
I'm off to Kawai until tuesday!

Jungle Living

(These are not my pictures)

Each time I come to Peru, I am amazed by its beauty. After a very, very long (but comfortable!) bus ride, our group arrived in Kimo. Kimo is located in the province of Chanchmayo in a city called La Merced. Jungle.



Kimo, like many Scripture Union sites, is used as a Campsite in the summer (it's winter right now in Peru). The boys' home is still in construction and they hope to have it open in late August or September.

When you arrive at the site, you, your luggage, and whatever else you have with you must be loaded on the cable car and pulled across the river. While this means more hassle every every time a construction material must be brought over, it also allows for great security!



Living in the jungle for a week is definitely an adjustment. There is little electricity apart from lighting which means no internet (which is the reason for me not updating my blog!). There are plenty of bugs here, which doesn’t really bother me...except for the one night that I found I had trapped two large cockroaches with me in my mosquito net!

More than anything else on this trip, I feel that I am truly learning how beautiful my God is, how amazing my God is, and how he alone is in control of everything. I feel that it is hard to be in this country without marveling at how beautiful his creation is. From the powerful ocean at the boys’ home in Kawai to the breathtaking mountains above the home in Kusi, to the beautiful jungle here in Kimo, I have a constant reminder of the beauty of my God. For if He made all this, how much more beautiful must He be! Also, as I take on more of a responsible role here and have more freedom, I am traveling more by myself. God continues to prove himself quite capable of getting me safely where I need to be.

Thank you so much for your prayers! I'll try to do better about posting...but just know when I am in the jungle, it won’t be happening! :)

Please keep these precious kids in your prayers, and that the project in Kimo will continue as scheduled and that God will prepare all that is necessary for the kids who will live here soon.

In Christ,
Catherine

Finally Updating!

Hello all!

First of all, I want apologize for the lack of updating. I'm finding that while I am with work groups, there is either no internet connection or virtually no time to post much of an update. But please know I will be updating as much as I can!

Catherine posted this to Facebook on Tuesday, 6-15:
Catherine enjoyed her first week in Kimo! Looking forward to her next week at Kawai with HBI and returning to Kusi!! :) Thanks for your prayers! Blog coming soon...

Catherine arrived safely in Lima Monday night, and today was the bus trip to Kimo. Looking forward to hearing more soon! Thanks for praying for Catherine!
Tim and Jolene