Peru Reflections

We have landed and are settled. The home that we have to live in is such an amazing blessing. I get emotional thinking about it(well, I get emotional about A LOT of things right now)- because it is such an amazing generous gift we have been given. God is able to provide far beyond our expectations- and He is able to do so through people who are obedient to His leading.

Exactly four months from today, we will be leaving ALL that is familiar and comfortable and heading out to Peru. This has been such a time of reflection for me. There are so many questions and so many things to think about. On Sunday, we listened to another couple share their story of being "called" to Peru. It was interesting to hear their story and the path that God placed them on to get here. Many things are the same, many are different. It made me think more about our life and how we came to the decision to go to Peru.

There has not been one time in the past 3 months that I have questioned whether or not this is what God has for us. Not once. So many things about our lives, our experiences, our desires- it just makes sense for us to do this. BUT, even bigger than that- we, as a couple, are really at a place of total surrender. As God has brought us to this place of surrender, He has also closed doors and given us clear validation that this is the door we need to walk through. Why are we going to Peru? There are many possible answers to that question:

to share Jesus

to help people in need

to plant churches

to help prostitutes and street children

for a grand adventure

to give our kids an expanded worldview

because there is an opportunity to

to make things better

- the list could go on and on.

But, what it comes down to, the ultimate reason that we are doing this is because we want to be obedient to God's leading in our lives. What does that mean? It means doing what we believe God has for us to do - no matter how hard or impossible it seems. My heart must be set on that purpose. If anything good comes from the next two years it will only be because of Christ in us. We could have noble goals, great plans and expectations for what we will do while in Peru, but if our hearts and minds are not set on complete obedience, all our plans will fail. We know a little about what our work might look like, who we might help, etc. but that is not where our focus needs to be. It must be on remaining obedient. That means a lot of unknowns and a lot of faith.

Are we really up to that? Could He really be asking that of us?

Sometimes I think, "Really? You want us?" We are so not what I thought "missionaries" were supposed to be like. Every.single.time that question come to mind God gently reassures in just a way that speak to me in that moment. It may be a song, a phone call, a 'chance' meeting, a sermon topic, a scripture, a commercial on t.v., a conversation overheard in the grocery store, etc. He tells me, "Yes Amanda, this is for you."

Wow. And once again, I have a chance to surrender my future to the One who hold my life in His hands, knowing fully that I will not be disappointed in where He takes me.