Thursday, March 7, 2013

Cedarville University Peru Trip - Day 6



Today really started last night as we drove all night on the bus, but I really don’t sleep well on vehicles.  I did however sleep a little – enough to do what needed to be done today.  The team seemed to sleep rather well, but I know they are looking forward to a good night’s rest tonight.

We had breakfast and devotions at the church at 8:30 in the morning, and by 10 we were heading off to the Buen Pastor child care center.  Pastor Jose tossed me the keys and asked me to drive – a situation I have been looking forward to.  The only problem was I didn’t have a horn, so I couldn’t be a genuine Peruvian driver.  Oh, and I stayed in my lane, so I guess that would limit my ability to be genuine as well. 
We arrived at the center and went on a couple of house visits.  First we visited the home of Juan Carlos and Milagros – their mother’s name was Natividad.  They have a thin walled home where 5 people live – the total area is not much more than an average living room.  They have 3 chickens, 2 rabbits, a dog, a cat and a duck.  The house is divided into a sleeping area and a kitchen.  Not much room to hang around in.  However, the view outside is amazing!  They overlook the desert lands of Lima with patches of green grass where the government keeps some roadways looking nice.  Houses everywhere – it truly was an odd sort of beautiful.

On our way to that home, I caught view of Norma (our sponsored child) at her home on the side of the mountain.  She had moved homes, but I saw her – and she saw me.  We exchanged waves, and after the first visit we went to see her home.  She lives in a rented room with her mom and brother.  It is hard to see as I have seen closets larger than the area where they live.  I hoisted Norma on my shoulders and carried her to the center.  We crossed paths with her Aunt along the way – only God knows why that encounter took place.

The day was filled with much of the normal things – we gave the kids books, we did skits, we helped kids color, and eventually played games with the kids.  The big difference today was we were tired from a long night (but not too tired), it was hot (we haven’t experienced that all week), and everything – even the kids – was dirty.  The team did an excellent job loving on the kids, playing with them, pushing through the difficulties of heat and dirtiness.  I was very proud of them.

As we packed up to go, many in the team did not want to go.  The kids connected so quickly with them, that it was much like leaving a family member.  I watched as they teared up and didn’t want to say goodbye.  Actually I hope that was the problem and not their fear of realizing I was driving them back to the hotel J.  Seriously, they loved the kids well today.

We arrived back at the hotel – rested, changed, and got ready for dinner.  We walked to an Italian restaurant just down the street and had pizza for dinner.  Levi was not feeling well, and eventually got sick, so after dinner we wrapped everything up and headed back to the hotel.  Levi went to bed and the rest of us played Rage.  I love how this team enjoys spending time together and bonding.

Tomorrow is more of the same – except with 3 times the children.  I look forward to another great day!

THOUGHT FOR TODAY:  What is the real purpose of a car horn?  Here in Lima it seems to be used for saying hello, telling people a taxi is available, alerting people to danger, informing others that the light has changed, insisting on other drivers to move… It has many purposes.  I am not sure that most of the purposes listed here, or the many other purposes I am certain it is used for were originally the intent of a car horn.  Yet, it has become such a norm that you can really honk for no reason and still fit right in.

We were designed for a reason, but the world has skewed that purpose so that we can get caught up being used for so many useless things that our original, and ultimate, purpose is never realized.  When all the horns are honking – it is so chaotic you can hardly concentrate.  When the world is pushing us in so many different directions, we can become double minded and fruitless as it relates to the Gospel.

Lord help us stop the chaos in our own lives and quite ourselves long enough to see the direction and clarity of living a life directed by His Spirit.  Help us distinguish between the noisiness of busyness and the single mindedness of holiness.

I don’t want to be a blaring horn that eventually just gets ignored by the world around me.  I want to sound out an alarm that moves people closer to God.

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