Jungle Livin’

Hola from the Jungle!

Going on ten days in beautiful Nauta, Peru, and God has been so sweet to us. The girls and I have spent the last week or so getting to know this town and becoming accustomed to life here in the Amazon. In the small amount of time we have been here, we have met some truly amazing people and have already began forming so many special relationships. Personally, I can not believe how fast I have grown to love this place and how much of my heart these people have already stolen. I feel truly blessed to be a part of this adventure, and I think I speak for all of the girls when I say how excited we are to see how God is going to move. 

So far, this experience has been so incredibley different from anything I have ever been apart of. Part of me was not prepared for how different life is here, in literally every way possible. Although I could go on for days about the differences between this place and the comfortable lives we live in America, I will give you all a glimpse. A few things I have learned:

-One does not simply ‘stop sweating’ while living in the Jungle

-Feeling dirty the second you finish a bucket shower is not all that uncommon

-You can try and teach Peruvian children your name all you want, but to them you will always be gringa (white girl) or hermana (sister)

-Even after two weeks without a decent shower and no makeup on, these people will still make you feel beautiful 

-There is actually and 11th Commandment, and it is, “Don’t drink the water’

-Soccer is a way of life

-You can hear roughly 500 different noises coming from the Jungle at 2:00 in the morning

-Water is gold, don’t waste it

-If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down (see above)

-Flushing your toilet paper is a no-no

-75 degrees is cold

-Rain is a GOOD thing

-A wave and a smile is sometimes all it takes to brighten someone’s day

-Love is universal, and you don’t have to speak the same language to give and receieve it

Aside from getting accustomed to a VERY different life here in Peru, the girls and I have also been able to get a taste of what ministry will be like during our stay in Nauta. What quickly became evident to me was how loving these people are, especially the children. It is impossible for us to walk anywhere without groups of them running at us from every direction. Although the words we can speak to them are very minimal because of language barriers, it no more lessens their excitement to see these gringas. Within the first hour of being here, I fell absolutely in love with these children. Their happiness is so contagious, and you can’t help but to be filled with joy when you are around them. They truly want nothing more from us than to be in our very presence. It blesses me more than words can say, and it gives me a glimpse of Jesus and His constant love and approval for us. Although I fail Him daily and my prayers are often jumbled and weak, He is still overjoyed when I come into His presence. As soon as I speak His name, He comes running.. meeting me exactly where I am. What a beautiful God we serve. I am so grateful for these sweet children and the genuine love that pours out from them. 

You can imagine my excitement when I learned that a good chunk of our ministry would involve loving on these sweet babies. Starting this week, our team was divided into smaller groups that would spend three weeks rotating three different ministry sites. Three weeks will be spent at a preschool, three will be at an orphanage, and three will be spent teaching English at a tech school. We also found out that we are going to be spending two weeks doing river ministry! Apart from this, we will also be taking part in smaller ministries such as women’s Bible Study, soccer ministry, and whatever else God throws our way. I could not be more excited for these next three months and all that God has in store.    

The first week here was kind of scattered, but so amazing nonetheless. At first glance, this place really intimidated me. Life here is just SO very different from the life I live in America. Part of me was not prepared for all of the changes we are experiencing, and culture shock became very real to me very quickly. By the grace of God, however, I have started to become more comfortable here. I believe that God brought me here to not only teach me to truly appreciate all that I have back home, but also to understand that true peace and happiness are not found in material objects. Contrary to what I have thought a majority of my life, they are not found in human relationships either. Sure these things can bring a person legitimate joy, but everlasting joy comes from The Lord. Appart from him, no amount of American comfort could ever bring me the kind of peace God has given me over the past week. Why am I always so quick to chase temporary conveniences instead of reaching out to my Creator who knows me inside and out? Without His strength, I would never be able to do something like this. God is my hope, and He is my joy. Most importantly, He is my home, and wherever I am in the world, I know I can count on His love to guide me through. 

Please pray for my team and I over these next three months. Pray that we would be so full of God’s love and truth that it becomes a reality to the people here in Nauta. Pray for the people that have been put in our paths, and that they would come to know Jesus and walk the path He has prepared for them. Lastly, please pray that our team would become united over these next three months and that even in the most difficult of circumstances, we would be able to choose love.The need here in Nauta is so great, and I know that God has a special place in His heart for these beautiful people. I feel so honored that God has entrusted me to love on this town. On behalf of my team and I, a huge thank you to the friends and family who have showered us with continued love and support. It is such a blessing to know that we have so many people cheering us on at home. Much love from your Peruvian chicas! Talk to you all soon!

-Danielle