Reflection

My trip to Arequipa, Peru was altogether amazing in more ways than one. Yes, I had a few difficult experiences, but the good overwhelms the bad in all cases. I am so thankful for my Peruvian family and what they mean to me. I am fortunate to be able to say that I have one family that loves me in this world (the family that I was born into in America); but to be able to say that I have two families in this world, one in America and the other in Peru, that love me and want the absolute best for me and my life is something rare and very beautiful. And this has only come out of my submitting my life to God's call for me to go to Peru. The way that things have turned out for me are far better than anything I could have ever planned.

My last week I was there in Arequipa, my American parents, who had come on the team from St. Peter and St. Paul, had the opportunity to have dinner with my Peruvian family. There was no shortage of laughter, conversation, or love in that time we spent together. And even though my American family only spoke a little bit of Spanish and my Peruvian family only spoke a little bit of English, we had an interpreter there that gave us fluent conversation in a common language. That interpreter was the Holy Spirit! Just an awkward 'gracias' and a huge smile communicated so much more by the Spirit than we will ever know.

And I like to think that is a good summary of my six months spent in Arequipa. Even though my time was short, even though my Spanish isn't 100% fluent, even though I am a broken man and am prone to making mistakes; God's strength is made complete in my weakness and He did more in my time with my host family, in my time in the orphanages, in my time at the Anglican school than I can ever imagine. And it was all initiated with my small and simple decision in saying, "Yes Lord, I will go." So, I give thanks to God, and praise Him for His power to use His creatures to accomplish great things in this world. Amen.