Saturday, June 28, 2014

Berean Bible Church - Peru Trip - Day 3


“From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised.  The Lord is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens.”  Psalm 113:3-4

As we awoke this morning, you couldn’t help but lift your eyes and think of the glory and majesty of our God.  We arrived after the sun set last night, so the magnitude and splendor of our surroundings was hidden by the dark of night.  As the sun began to rise, the mountains came into view and their grand magnificence made us worship the creator who spoke them into existence. The mountains behind the hotel were mostly dirt with some small vegetation, but they soared thousands of feet above the 10,000 feet that we were already above sea level.  As we looked around, we were able to see the snow capped mountains that seemed almost to merge with the sky.  The sight is difficult to describe in words, and impossible to share without seeing it yourself.  God is majestic, powerful and amazing – the firmament showed us His handiwork.
We headed in for breakfast and the spent some time in God’s word.  We talked about the book of Philippians and laid the ground work for the devotionals for the rest of the week.  Then we prepared to leave and headed off to the church and childcare center at Yungar.
We arrived close to 9:00 and we jumped right to action.  The team split into 4 groups.  Three were painting and 1 was working on tearing off the roof above the kitchen and classroom.  They worked well, and much was accomplished.  They worked on painting the front and outside of the buildings, the bathrooms.  It was awesome to see the entire team engaged in working on the various projects and working together.
About 1:00 the kids showed up and we fed them lunch.  The team surrounded them and began interacting right away.  They were trying to speak Spanish, and in return, many of the kids were trying out their English.  The group sang songs with the kids, they did a skit and the kids seemed to love it.  They did a craft with the children which allowed for a bunch of interaction, and the kids loved that too.
At 4:00, we went to the soccer field and played some soccer with the kids.  10 on 10 at nearly 10,00 feet above sea level.  It was difficult to breathe as we ran, but it seemed like they had a great time.  We played for about an hour and a half, and then told the kids we would play again tomorrow.  I think they will be inviting some of their friends to come – we really had a great time.
The day ended with dinner and our wrap up/worship session.  I love to hear these kids sing and pray.  I love to hear them process their day.  I love to challenge them to make the patterns they develop here permanent in their lives.  Only God knows what impact this week is going to have on these kids.
Tomorrow is another day of the same – well, maybe – you never really know…
Thought for the day: During the evening wrap up, one of the kids said, “YOLO”.  And I thought about their culture and the idea that “You Only Live Once” is a mantra that encourages them to get the most out of life.  Yet it seems that the idea is that since you only live once, do whatever crazy things you can imagine doing.
I heard a poem one time that basically states a similar idea, but it goes like this…
Only one life ‘twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Yes, I will only pass this way once.  I will die at the end of my life, and there isn’t a second chance to do it all over again.  As a matter of fact, the day that has just been spent cannot be reclaimed – it is gone forever. 
So do I want to YOLO and get as much for me out of the day that I can, or do I want to make sure I give the most for God today.
Lord, help me keep my frailty and temporary existence ever before me, and may it challenge me to give everything I have for you and for your glory.  May the fruit of my daily life be eternal fruit, and not just the things that satisfy me today.

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