Northampton Presbyterian - Final Day

Having Jeremy as a roommate makes night time rather interesting, he talks in his sleep!  Usually he does the normal mumbling that makes it difficult to know exactly what he is saying, but last night was very different.  He had been tired throughout the afternoon and evening, and when he laid down (about 11:00 at night), he was asleep instantly.  I had a lot of work to finish, so I was working on my computer when at around 11:30, he yells out, “Love your neighbor as yourself!”  I thought it was rather unusual, but then again – this is Jeremy I am talking about!  I realized rather quickly that he was still sleeping – I guess he was preaching to the kids.

We woke up early on Saturday, and Jeremy and I had the opportunity to talk about ourselves, our lives, and what was next for us.  I am very impressed with him and his love for the kids and I know that God will continue to work through him in a mighty way as he continues to follow God’s direction.

We loaded up for an exciting day and headed over to the church.  We got there early enough to encourage Teresa to not put garlic in the eggs, since Anthony doesn’t like garlic eggs.  He had taken a large plate of eggs on Thursday and then realized that the garlic was a little strong – he wasn’t a big fan!  Anyway, we ate, talked about what we were learning for the week, and talked about our plans for the day.  The kids were excited about going to the beach, so they got ready, put on the sunscreen, and we headed off for the Pacific.

As always, as the team arrived at the rocky beach, they loved the sounds of the rocks as they were pulled back into the ocean.  It is a sound that mimics applause – I tell the teams that these rocks “get it” and every time the waves come in, they applause their creator for doing it again!  It really is an amazing and wonderful sound.  However, it is almost impossible to swim in, and the team wanted to swim in the ocean, so we walked out on the jetty (or eddy – depending on who you are) and took some pictures, then loaded up to head down the beach to the sandy section.

The team spent about an hour and a half playing in the water, dunking each other, splashing around.  Just enjoying being together.  They are a blast to watch.  I love teams that know how to have fun together – they worked together all week – they needed a little “fun” time.

The market – as always – is my FAVORITE time.  Yes, that is sarcastic. I don’t know how to write in a sarcastic tone.  I had 3 pair of pants I needed to get for the Cedarville team, and so we hunted for the best deal for everyone.  The team actually purchased 20 pairs of pants – we got them for 15 soles each (just under $6). The plan was to wear them home – which we eventually did.  They spent about an hour or so shopping – they could have been there longer, but we needed to get to the water park.

We arrived at the water park and they were ready to get wet – in clean water.  They enthusiastically jumped into the fountains – pushing each other into the water and getting everyone wet.  Jose and Teresa laughed as the team played around in the fountains.  However, the kids got the last laugh when Anthony and Colin surrounded Teresa and Jeremy gave Jose a big hug.  Their wetness was now all over Jose and Teresa.  I love this couple – they love God and love people well – it is fun to watch them laugh at and with the teams that come.

From there, we changed into our new Peruvian gear – you will have to ask the boys about this experience – I am not documenting it here!  In our new outfits, we took some photos and headed off for the airport.  The rest of the story is pretty mundane – we hopped on a plane and headed home.  We arrived in Newark a little later than expected, but hustled through customs and immigration and we said our goodbyes. 

I am thrilled with what God did with this team last week, and I know that He will continue to develop and use them.  I pray that they never forget the things they did and saw last week, and that they share with their families and friends their new understanding of life in Peru.  I look forward to hearing great things from these kids in the future.