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!
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