summer peru project—part 2

As promised, here is the "touristy" aspect of Eamon's mission in Peru. Eamon took most of these pix, but some were taken by my husband, Chris, who traveled on his own to Cusco and Machu Picchu after his time ministering with the team. The chance to see the Inca ruins and the stunning countryside surrounding them was the chance of a lifetime for these two history fanatics!

The classic shot of Machu Picchu that all tourists must get. :)

Eamon at Machu Picchu.

The team camped at the base of Huascaran, the highest tropical mountain in the world. Eamon's camera battery died right before the campout, so this is actually a photo from last year's mission to Peru. But you get the idea... :)

Psalm 121:1 (from The Message) "I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains."

Peru is a study in climatic diversity, from lush jungles to arid deserts to snowcapped mountains. Trivia: It hasn't rained in Lima for 50 years!

A Cusco-area market.

La Basilica Catedral de Lima.

Convento de San Francisco in Lima.

My favoriate Peru picture. :-)

Psalm 97:5 (from The Message) "The mountains take one look at God and melt, melt like wax before earth's Lord."

summer peru project—part 1

As some of you may know, my 16-year-old son was on a mission in Peru for most of the summer, serving the Peruvian people and being discipled by an incredible team of college students. While there, he experienced a radical renovation of the heart and an amazing renewal of the mind. My husband and I each spent a week with the mission team, working alongside these faithful high school students and encouraging them as they advanced God's kingdom among the poorest of the poor in Peru.

Here are a few pictures from this remarkable adventure. I will post the more "touristy" photos tomorrow. :-)

The orphanage compound in Cienegilla, where the team did construction work for 3-4 hours each day. They helped build second-story additions on two buildings, and dug trenches for the foundation of a third building. Once completed, these additions will allow the orphanage to double the number of children cared for.

By the grace of God, this little guy will not be one of the 600,000 abandoned children living on the streets of Lima. At Mike and Chelene Kennedy's orphanage in Cienegilla, he is loved, well fed, educated, and taught about the Savior who gave His life so that all might be reconciled with the Father of the fatherless.

My son (far right) working on the roof of the second-story addition.

A work in progress! By the end of the summer, this addition was completely bricked in and plastered, and interior finish work was well underway.

A bit further along in the process.

My son digging trenches for the glory of God! A third orphanage building will eventually be built where he is digging.

The team distributed 2,000 Bibles to Quechuan villagers in the Huaraz region of the Andes. Here, schoolchildren gather to receive their Bibles.

Isaiah 55:11 "It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it." (NLT)

no more faith

One of my lovely blog pals inspired me to make this post. In her blog, she posted the lyrics of a song that shaped and inspired her faith in God. I, too, have a song that came at a pivotal time in my faith-walk.

A couple of years ago, I was experiencing some really intense spiritual warfare. The enemy was coming at me with guns blazing, placing bizarre thoughts of doubt and disbelief in my head. It seemed nothing could stop these unwelcome thoughts—thoughts that in no way reflected what I truly believed. But they weakened me tremendously.

I prayed that God would give me a weapon to wage war against this invisible, insidious enemy. And, in true God fashion, he gave me the most unlikely of weapons. He gave me a song. Here it is...

No More Faith

from "Clear to Venus"
Words and music by
Andrew Peterson







Lyrics:
This is not another song about the mountains
Except about how hard they are to move
Have you ever stood before them
Like a mustard seed who's waiting for some proof?

I say faith is a burden
It's a weight to bear
It's brave and bittersweet
And hope is hard to hold to
Lord, I believe
Only help my unbelief

Till there's no more faith
No more hope
I'll see your face and Lord, I'll know
That only love remains

Have you heard it said that Jesus is the answer
And thought about the many doubts you hide
Have you wondered how he loves you
If He really knows how dark you are inside

I say faith is a burden
It's a weight to bear
It's brave and bittersweet
And hope is hard to hold to
Lord, I believe
Only help my unbelief

Till there's no more faith
No more hope
I'll see your face and Lord, I'll know
When there's no more faith
And no more hope
I'll sing your praise and let them go
'cause only love
Only love remains

So I will drive these roads in thunder and in rain
And I will sing your song at the top of my lungs
And I will praise you, Lord, in glory and in pain
And I will follow you till this race is won
And I will drive these roads till this motor won't run
And I will sing your song from sea to shining sea
And I will praise you Lord, till your kingdom comes
And I will follow where you lead

Till there's no more faith
No more hope
I'll see your face and Lord, I'll know
When there's no more faith
And no more hope
I'll sing your praise and let them go
'cause only love
Only love remains

Now get over to iTunes and download this song. Then go to www.andrew-peterson.com and buy every record he has ever recorded. Andrew is a prophet and a poet, and his Christmas CD Behold The Lamb Of God will completely rock your life!

to own a dragon

I’d like to recommend a tremendous book by a wonderful author—To Own a Dragon, written by Donald Miller.

I grew up without a father—a circumstance that, like all adversities, had both bad and good effects on my life.

I’ll spare you the whiny litany of bad effects and skip right to the great GOOD that came out of my fatherless childhood: God is my father. I know this like I know the sound of my own children’s voices. And it was the absence of an earthly dad that allowed me to fully embrace my heavenly Father’s perfect love, affection, discipline, and presence.

To Own a Dragon’s author, Donald Miller, was also fatherless. And Miller’s willingness to rip himself open and share the impact of that circumstance on his life makes for compelling and spiritually convicting reading.

The writing is poetic, honest, and moving. And, in places, laugh-out-loud funny. Miller’s conversation about fathers is not a bleak or hopeless rant. Rather, it shows how God longs to father us and how men of faith can fill in some of the blanks for those who lack the positive influence of a daddy.

Here is one of my favorite passages:

“There is something profoundly humbling about knowing God. I’m not talking about the trinket God or the genie-in-a-lamp God, I mean the God who invented the tree in my front yard, the beauty of my sweetheart, the taste of a blueberry, the violence of a river at flood. I think there are a lot of religious trends that would have us controlling God, telling us that if we do this and that and another, God will jump through our hoops like a monkey. But this other God, this real God, is awesome and strong, all-encompassing and passionate, and for reasons I will never understand, He wants to father us.”

This book is written from a male perspective, but it is of great value to all…male, female, fathers, mothers, the childless, single parents, and even those with loving, Godly dads in their lives. It is starkly honest and doesn’t always read like a sanitized, shiny Christian book (i.e., it can be surprisingly blunt and human in places). But if you appreciate honesty and real life in your faith reading, check it out.

And don’t forget to give thanks to God, our perfect Father.

Lisa

P.S. What are you reading right now?