Day 45. leaving Iquitos

I woke up early this morning... And just looked out across my room, the room that has become an extension of me over these last six weeks...
Looking at it now you wouldn't know just how much time I spent in here, speaking with the Lord, growing a Christian and as a person, you wouldn't see all the wonderful things I've collected over the last six weeks, none of the children's drawings, or hand woven fans, or pictures of all the amazing people who shaped my experience here... No It is a barren place now... The only thing that sits in the middle of the floor is my packed suitcase...

As I write this entry, the last entry I will write in Iquitos... I will begin to work through the experiences I have had in Peru this summer...

It very rare in life that you can pin point a moment or experience that will profoundly shape who you are and how you live your life... This experience working as a summer intern with Amazon Mission Fellowship based in Iquitos Peru, has been one of those experiences... It has shaped my life in countless ways for various reason...

This entry will be an introduction to what I will continue to blog about post Peru...
You see the entire time I was in Iquitos I was not only blogging our daily events I was also journaling about the deep religious and moral questions that arose from what I saw and what I experienced, some is too inherently personal for me to share with all of you out ere in cyberspace, but certain lessons, revelations really are so important that I feel I would be denying you something by not telling you... Because those of you who have been dedicated to this blog, reading each daily entry have essentially been living this experience with me...

But before I begin that, I would like to continue my expression of profound gratitude to the amazing people I had the privilege to work with over these past six weeks...

To every Peruvian who welcomed me into their home, shared their story and loved me as a sister in Christ, I send my profound gratitude, admiration, and love. This country is full of some of the most amazingly welcoming people that I have ever met... And this country has some of the most amazing children...

To every little Peruvian girl and boy who melted my heart with your smiles, kind words and unconditional love... I thank you from the depths of my heart... Y'all have taught me now more than ever the need their is for youth religious education, and who knows maybe I'll teach ( ) school, you all have melted my heart and become a part of it, I'll pray for each of you, may your lives be full and blessed, I love you all!

To every member of every mission team I had the privilege of meeting and serving these six weeks, thank you for allowing me to become a small part of your group and team, thank you for sharing your deeply personal stories and religious convictions with me, thank you for befriending me and shaping my experience by infecting me with the uncontrollable love you have for this place and the people here...

To Maria and Ina the amazing women at El Jardin who cooked and cleaned for us over these past weeks and who continually came to work with smiles and kind words, you were amazing, and your cooking ensured that I would not be struggling to eat this summer it was all delicious and I appreivate all the love you pour into all you do...

To every AMF board member who afforded me the opportunity to come down here and grow and serve in one of the most amazing environments... Thank you, for all of those who I had the great opportunity to meet personally, it was a pleasure. I was profoundly move by your dedication and love for this place. And for all those members and teams who I did not get to meet, I pray your time in Iquitos and your villages will be blessed and productive.

To VILLA, the amazing get anything done man, who regularly saved us when the water pressure was gone... You are amazing and hilarious :) I miss your laugh and smile already... And I know in my heart that the Lord will protect you as you go into surgery on Monday... Know that countless people all across the US are praying for you!!



To Ben, my partner in crime these weeks, thank you for teaching me so much, about the Lord, about myself, about men in general. It was my profound pleasure working with you this summer... You were always good at walking through all the spider webs, breaking out in song, generally accompanied by air guitar or even real guitar, you helped me feel comfortable in a city that probably would have struggled to adjust in, I city I now view as my favorite new place to explore and I could always count on you to make me laugh hysterically, thank you for putting up with me even when I was difficult and thank you for making me aware of how different two people can be, while still being partners... You are an amazing person Ben and I look forward to seeing you back at Wofford, I hope the rest of your time in Iquitos and eventually Buenos Ares are blessed and safe :) take care!!!





To Pam, the woman who will continue to inspire me long after I've left this place... You have become one of my dearest friends the conversations we have had this summer have helped me in ways you cannot imagine, and I will treasure the time I have spent getting to know you always. Thank you for opening your home to us, thank you for welcoming us in such a way that I leave El Jardin thinking of it as a second home and you as family. Your profound capacity for love and compassion has inspired me, the infectious love you have for this country and these people, will serve as an example of Gods endless love for the rest of my life!!! Until we see each other again :) I'll be praying for you, love you.


There are several things that can't be ignored once experienced so I will share
them with you... They are things I know I will struggle with for the rest of my life...

Many of you reading this, are like me blessed, blessed NORTH AMERICANS, we live in a country where running water and electricity are the norm... Are as we would consider them essential to daily life but more than 2/3 of humanity live without either everyday, I plan on exploring the biblical concept of verse ( ) to those much is given much is expected... I plan on changing my mentality on what really is essential to daily life...

I plan to explore the reality of Gods expectations on men and women, these is something I came down to Peru, with on my mind, and through profound conversation, reflection and prayer I think I'm beginning to understand...

Anyways, the entry won't come as frecuently as before because I'm off on my next adventure... With my family :) so stay tuned...

Location:Iquitos Peru

Day 44, Part 2

Hey all :)

I come to you all now after just having had the most amazing experience...

El Frio y el fuego is a restaurant built up on balsa wood... So it floats

Pam took Villa, Ben and me out to this restaurant for a farewell dinner of sorts ...



It was the neatest thing... We went out to Puerto Huequitos and head across the Itaya River... The load us into a long boat... And shuffled us over...

Dinner was delicious... The view was amazing... And the conversation was even better :)





The view of Iquitos...


Villa :) Pray for him y'all... His surgery is Monday...




They also have a floating chlorine pool...




Our little Iquitos family... I miss them so much already...




The woman who shaped my experience ;) our fearless leader...




Villita :) my favorite Peruvian




Our ride coming to collect us to take us back to dry land :)




Very rarely do you form connections with people so quickly and deeply that you feel although you would miss these people even if you'd never met them...

More emotional info tomorrow... Too tired more tomorrow...

Stay tuned

Location:Iquitos, Peru

Day 44 part 1, we say goodbye to the Lake Murray group

Hey all : /

Today is my last full day in Iquitos, working for AMF... I fly out tomorrow, to rejoin my family for my next crazy summer adventure...

I have decided that I would break up the day 44 entries into subparts to cover all the things I've experienced, learned and discover this week and throughout my six week stay down here...

So part one will cover the amazing experiences I had with the Lake Murray Group, from Chapin SC. They were a small group five people in total... Which was a really neat twist because we got to know everyone a little bit better and we managed to have some pretty profound conversations...

Anyway as I told you this group is exploring the possibility of partnering with the First Presbyterian Church of Iquitos, and the church property sits right next-door to El Jardin, so we stayed pretty close to home this week working on the on site construction and doing yard work :)

Here are some pictures from this week :)




The group on their tour..


R.B. Lending Bill a hand


Us girls after our supply shopping trip...




Us hanging out at the Zoo bar... Yes I said bar... Really a bar in the zoo lol we were hiding from the sun... It was so hot!!!




Us at Nvo Valentin...


Putting together water filters...




The amazing children...




The sloth Jack :) free in a tree, behind the pastors house... If y'all remember he was living in Pastor clever's house as a pet, well he wasn't eating so they let him go and now he roams the trees behind the Pastors house :)





Us out on when of our many exploration/ ice cream adventures...




Us with the ladies of the rehab center :)

All in all it was an amazing last week for me down here in Iquitos, we put the Lake Murray group on their plane early this morning then, rushed through turnover, then I packed :( and later on tonight were going out for our last dinner together as a team... Were going to a restaurant that floats on the Itaya River :) and apparently has one of the best views of the city at night I'm super excited and very sad... But thats all for the next blog entry...

Stay tuned...

Location:Iquitos, Peru

Day 42... But really I'm still talking about day 41

Hey all :)

I wanted to start by continuing my post from yesterday... You see yesterday I gave in to my tiredness... I'm beginning to understand this experience... Now as I face it's conclusion... It has manifested it's self over the last few days with uncontrollable tears and a deep fear that I will somehow loose what I've learned here, once I leave this place...

Yesterday my body decided that since I have taken to ignoring it's need to cry, rest and process, none of which I am willing to do yet because that would mean my time here has ended and I just don't think I will know what to do with myself once that happens.... Well my body has decided to retaliate by manifesting my stress and emotional fears into the physical realm, a realm not easily ignored... I'm sick, mentally and physically exhausted, and completely emotional overwhelmed... But take heart I will not serenader, this experience is not over yet.... And now I'm beginning to understand that it will not end Saturday, it will go home with me, and continue to live and grow... Grow as I process all I have seen and come to know about the Lord, his world, and his message... The real struggle starts once I leave this place... Once I'm home, and have to begin to process what it is to truly live the life Christ has called me to in my own terms...

Last night I almost passed on an amazing experience, I've found myself bitter as of late, angry that I have to leave this place, when their is still five more weeks of work here yet to be done... I found myself sad that the amazing experiences and exchanges will continue long after I have left this place... Then I am astounded by how prideful and arrogant that idea is .... Of course this work should continue here once I have gone, of course I am sad to go and leave the work in someone else's hands, but they are capable hand, they are hands that love the lord with all their heart, and they are hands that will ensure Gods love and message continues. I now understand my job is to try and grasps that I am only a small part of this great experience and the true challenge God has set before me... Is to take the lessons, skills, and message I have learned down here and become a missionary in my own community, in my own home, and in my own heart... Because really God is calling each and everyone of us to live a missional life of service and love. Service and love for any and all who are in need, even if that need is not always know or acknowledged, whether it be across the globe or in our own backyards...


Anyways... Enough with the deep and emotional, I'm supposed to be telling you about what happened last night, after our day of work we went out to dinner, I'm not going to lie, I was a little exhausted and worn out from our day spent running around, I knew we had agreed to participate in the prayer service with the church next-door but... Honestly the idea didn't trill me... Don't get me wrong I knew it would be wonderful... As their services always are, but I also knew that it would be quite long... Like crazy long... Service in Peru generally are a minimum of two hours, generally more... And I knew how tired I was... And that my nose was running and my throat was sore and that I'd probably sneeze throughout the entire service, which I did, and each sneeze notified me more than the last because I felt that with every sneeze I distracted everyone more and more... But one Gods talents is humbling us... And oh how I was humbled... As we gathered with the 15 or so members gathered they prayed for their families, and health, and the future... But they also prayed for the sweet American girl who couldn't stop sneezing... The girl they said came down to worship with them despite illness... Illness really it's a head cold... A mild one at that... Yes it's annoying but really if my biggest problem is a little sneezing I think I'm in good shape.... They gathered around us when closing the service and prayed as a congregation for our safety and health and asked God to make us be successful in all our endeavors... talk about humbling... People who struggle everyday to just get by, people who rely entirely on God to provide...provide For their needs... Took the time during their prayer meeting when they could be praying about their own problems to pray for the Americans... Who came down to visit and do some minor construction... Really, humbling... Message received lord... Even when it could be easy to feel sorry for myself and indulge in self-pity, brought about through "illness", I am reminded that million, maybe even billions of people have less than me and most likely always will, and yet they still take time out to pray for us...

We gave the pastor's wife Graciela the supplies we bought for their bible school, and she was so moved by our generosity that she said that she would bring over a chocolate cake for dessert after our dinner... Their generosity is astounding even when it seems they have nothing to spare... They give graciously and happily, it real is remarkable...

As someone who loves closure, it seems all too perfect that today we went to Nvo Valentin, you see it was our first village, and it turns out it will be my last... At least my last for this years trip, I already know in my heart that I will find my way back to this place... One way or another I will wander the jungles of Peru once more... But that s for another blog, some other time... Lol. The symbolism between starting and ending in the same village is remarkable, it was like returning home once more, except this time I'm acutely aware that I enter this place as a different person, it's amazing but I'm already overwhelmed by how much I've grown and been changed by my experience over these last six weeks...

We came to Nvo Valentin today to delivery water purification buckets, they were ordered by the partner church from First Scotts Presbyterian in Charleston SC, but were not delivery to Iquitos till after the group had returned to the US... So the group from Chapin got to take them out today:) I have to admit it was fitting to have my last boat ride up the amazon be the one that gave me an hour and a have to wrestle with my emotions and feelings surrounding my leaving this place, and this experience behind me... It was a neat to see some of my favorite kids again, Fatima and Alex... At least behind me figuratively because I believe this experience will be at the forefront of everything I do from now on, or at least I hope it is...

Today I made the executive decision that once I've left this place, once I'm gone from the place that now begins to claim a part of my soul, that I will work through and share some of the deep things I've been working through this summer, with all of you... To share with you the spoils of the Labor of Love, I have toiled out this summer, so be on the look out for more blog posts after my physical departure on Saturday, I say physical because I know now, with out a doubt that, part of my heart will remain in Peru forever...

Location:Iquitos, Peru

Day 40 and 41 Monday and Tuesday :)

Hey all :)
Sorry I'm late in posting, our Lake Murray Group from Chapin SC, is looking to partner with the First Presbyterian church of Iquitos... So we've been sticking close to El Jardin, seeing as the First Presbyterian church of Iquitos is right next door... The men have been working with the construction team on the new building, the pastor research center. They continue with demolition of the old rumble from the old building.

On Monday I assisted the other women in the group do some yard work, we raked up some leafs, and scrubbed the sidewalks that were covered in moss.

Today we went out to purchase some materials for the Sunday school program next door, we got paper and pencils, crayons, scissors, stickers, and all other little goodies, then we went out and bought sewing supplies for a recreational center for elderly woman in Iquitos, we had a nice time :)

Tomorrow we head out to Nvo Valentin to disturb water buckets, weather permitting... I can't believe I'm leaving on Saturday.

That's all for now.

Sorry for the delay, and my brevity... I'm not really feeling well, I'm getting a cold.... So I may not be all too descriptive, bare with me :)

Location:Iquitos, Peru

Day 37, Day 38, and Day 39 we say goodbye and hello, and go to the zoo

Hey all :)

On Friday, we said goodbye to the second half of the First Presbyterian Group from Huntington VW, I was very sad to see them go, after two weeks with members from their church, its almost like joining the congregation :)

So here's to all my long lost Huntington friends :) you are all so generous and friendly and truly made us a part of their fellowship, and you all were so generous with us, and we loved working with you, it was an amazing experience for me to see the partner church relationship at y'alls phase, because you have deep emotional connections to the people of Gallito you love them and they love you, and through those connections Gods love truly shines... I was privileged to be a part of it, I've been so very privileged this whole experience meeting all these amazing men, women, and young people going out and doing the lords work that I can't imagine leaving this experience behind me, so I want to take a minute and thank y'all for the deep impressions you have made on my experience here...
I wrote out a draft of this, where I thanked each of you by name for the amazing experience you allowed me to become a part of these last two weeks, but instead I'm just going to list the many things that I experienced with y'all that I am thankful for...
Thank y'all for your ability to make me laugh like a fool, with their strategy of just adding an "O" to the end of ever word to make it Spanish, which we learned didn't actually work all that well... but more importantly thanks for radiating your love for these people and this place :)
Thank you for your shared kind smile and jump rope :) which I'm happy to report I use everyday :)
thank you for sharing your passion and organization with me and giving me some great bible school craft ideas...
Thank you for making me smile every minute even as we ventured from pharmacy to pharmacy looking for children's victims, y'all exude a happiness that should be bottled and sold...
Thank you For the opportunity to learn Rooke and perfected my appreciation of UNO :) I plan on teaching my family once I'm back stateside...
Thanks You for sharing your "America's favorite cookies" the real Oreo, and teaching me peanuts, which although is another card game I'm terrible at... I will go home and teach my family...
Thank you for your passion for and discomfort with the situation down here, you manage to inspire us all to examine every minute.
Thank you to the amazing women I painted and played with... Y'all are amazing :) I had so much fun getting to know y'all and seeing the lord work his message and spread his love through y'all
Thank to the amazing men, who labored tirelessly to do the jobs I could have never done.
Thank you to the people who organize this trip and continue to organize future trips it is through y'alls dedication that relationships are formed and bridges built... Bridges that start in the US to Peru, from Huntington to Gallito :)

It's relationships like the one y'all have that made me want to come down here and I'm so privileged to be a part of that, so thanks for showing me the amazing bonds you've formed...

Friday in general was an amazing day for me because I got to see a whole new side of Pam's missionary service work down here in Peru... After me and Pam left the airport, we went to visit another pastors family, Pastor Herman from Santa Clara, it's the pastor whose church is partnered with Pam own church in Spartanburg, and its a partnership that has existed for, I believe 13 years now. The love exchanged in those walls, watching Pam, truly at work.... Working at comforting, consoling and communicating with the pastors wife not just as the missionary in residence but as a missionary who has become one of this women's nearest an dearest friends, the experience was eye opening because i finally got to see what Pam sends here time doing when all the american mission teams go home, the experience was one of my most amazing experiences down here to date... Pastor Herman's wife confided in Pam over the pressure some pastors families experience, pressure created by the critical review they receive from their parishioners. I'm not going to discuss the personal nature of this woman struggle because I was a guest to this conversation, a mere fly on the wall of a Great personal struggle, she grieving a deep personal loss and struggling with the understanding that humanity is imperfect and bound to fail, even the section of humanity who knows better, who are educated in the way of the lord, even the every family members of pastors... It was amazing to see Pam at work relating the loving message of God to this Peruvian woman who was clearing struggling. I'll be praying for her and her family.

After all of the Huntington group made it out of the airport and all our other work was done... We were exhausted so we all turned in a little early to ready ourselves for the Lake Murray group from Chapin SC, they arrived early on Saturday morning... We collected them from the airport it being only five of them... our week seems like it will be filled with tons of time getting to know each of them personally

We had lunch toured El Jardin and the city of Iquitos, and then had dinner and gave them a little time to themselves... All in all they seem very nice and excited to get to work, they'll be working on the new pastors research center building and exploring the possibility of partnering with the First Presbyterian Church of Iquitos, so we'll spend a good amount of time with them this week.

Today Sunday, July 10th my 39th day in Iquitos is my last Sunday I will spend here this summer, and I'm completely in nots about it... I fly out of Iquitos next saturday July 16th.... I'm not ready to leave this amazing place, but I press forward knowing my time here has not ended yet :)

Today we went back to the Cista Coche Zoo :) sorry to disappoint you but their won't be any ant pictures this time, actually I didn't even bring my camera so their won't be any pictures at all... We had a nice time, I enjoyed returning to it on a weekend because their were a ton more people their and it really came alive today :) then we went out for a lovey lunch and are going to do some odds and ends now, before dinner and church this evening... It's been a pretty amazing day :)

I ask all of you to please pray for Villa, (pronounced Vija) our amazing handyman here at El Jardin, he has Stones in his gallbladder, they need to operate but they have to wait because he has a bad case of gastritis, and they won't operate on him if he has an infection... Please pray for him, his health and his fast recovery!!!

Location:Iquitos Peru

Day 36 the last day in Gallito

Hey all :)

Thursday was my last day in Gallito, it was an amazing day, but a sad one in the end... We went out and did a little more painting, we painted the church, painted faces, painted nails... We even finger painted :)

We had a really good day :) we finished off with bubbles and sidewalk caulk at the school yard, we also played soccer and foursquare. It was really fun :)

Here are some pictures....


The kids were waiting for us right when we got there...



We painted tons of faces... Big and little


They taught us their favorite games...


We drew with sidewalk caulk...


They were happy to see us...


And we love Gallito :)


Several of the kids drew us pictures... Claudio gave this one to me


When We left Gallito the children and several adults lined the banks and waved us away...

Ok now comes the part I've been avoiding the emotional part, I'm not gonna lie I had made an executive decision that I would not cry in front of the kids... And as he often does the lord laughed at my plans, I held back tears all day as I got hugs and te queiros from the kids, I held back tears when they drew me pictures or wrote out my name in hearts on the sidewalk ...



I only really lost it when I saw the tears in Laura's eyes... She'd already told me she'd miss me, and that she would pray for me... That's when I lost it, this little girl 12 years old, in the middle of the Peruvian jungle is praying for me, never in my life have I experienced something so humbling... I have more now than Laura will probably have in her whole life, but she wants to pray for me, and to pray that she'll be able to see me again

I have no words... Still

Pray for the amazing people of Iquitos :) pray that I can remain strong enough to handle their amazing capacity to love unconditionally and give so generously,

Stay tuned

Location:Iquitos Peru