Northampton Presbyterian Missions Trip - Day 2

How nice it is to start a trip with a good night’s sleep – or at least 5 hours.  I slept fairly well, and it seems that the team did also.  I roomed with Jeremy last night, and he woke himself up talking this morning.  He started saying something and then started getting a little louder, and then all of the sudden he “startled” himself awake.  It was rather amusing.  Anyway, I got up and checked the time and told him it was only 6 o’clock.  He pulled his blankets back up over his head and went back to sleep.

We gathered around the front door at 8 and prepared for our breakfast at Palermo’s – Jose’s favorite breakfast place (which he will not go to on Saturday because he won’t eat meat during lent).  Anyway, Kevin is still struggling with what he thinks is motion sickness – he threw up a few times last night, but said he slept well.  I love his attitude – regardless of how he is feeling, he seeks to do right and  have a positive attitude.  He is very impressive.  Anyway, we went to breakfast and had pork sandwiches (Kevin just ate a very little) and we headed to the bus station.  Kevin started getting sick again – I was praying that he would feel better – this is a very difficult start for him.

As we waited for our bus, we played cards, Jeremy and Colin made up a tennis ball game, and some read and journaled. Eventually we boarded the bus and headed to Huaraz.  Kevin was doing better, but still had a way to go.

The team excitedly took pictures as we drove through town and then out into the northern parts of Lima. They took pictures of each other, of the scenery, all kinds of stuff.  We are going to have a lot of pictures when this week is over.  We finally arrived at Cheto’s for lunch, and boy, can this group eat!  They ate everything we ordered.  Even Kevin got in on the action – although I must say, Anthony can put away some food for being such a skinny kid!  Everyone seemed to be doing very well.

Mid afternoon was more of the same, naps, pictures, listening to music, talking, riding in a bus for a total of 8 hours.  About 6 hours in we reached the pinnacle of our driving – right around 13,000 feet.  Many of the team members were “complaining” about head ache’s, feeling nauseous, generally not feeling well.  I told them to drink their water and they would feel better soon.  When we dropped back down to 11,000 feet they were all back to normal, playing games, laughing and just waiting for the ride to end.  We arrived in Huaraz shortly after 7, and met with Erick, headed to the hotel and unpacked.  It was nice to finally be settled – the team was thankful to have arrived.

We met in the computer “conference” room and apart from Kelly knocking a picture off the wall and breaking the glass, we had fun.  We talked about the past 2 days, we talked about tomorrow, we discussed how we were going to do things, what the team should expect from the kids, and what Jeremy and I expected from them.  I know this team will do an excellent job – they are doing such a great job of encouraging one another and helping each other.  They truly are a wonderful representation of their church and families back home.  After the meeting we headed to rooms for the evening – we have a long day tomorrow, and the first day is always the most difficult. 

Thought for the day:  As I drove through the mountains today, I saw rocks cut in half by the path of water as it flowed down the mountainside.  Deep paths have been carved into these monstrous mountains of rocks.  What was probably once a smooth surface of stone has now been  forever changed by the constant flow of water. Water is nothing compared to the toughness of a boulder, but given enough time and allowed to continue, the rock can be destroyed by the water.

In the same way, our lives, no matter how strong and durable, can be forever “marred” by sin that is allowed to careen across our lives day after day.  How important it is to stand before our Creator and ask, as David did, “search me, oh God, and see if there be any wicked way in me.”  Left unchecked, our lives can and will be destroyed by unconfessed sin.