Four years goes fast

It has been almost four years since I arrived for the first time in Peru. After watching a video shown in my church of the community of La Merced de Neshuya, I was captivated. The people, the language, the poverty. There was no doubt in my mind that I needed to find my way to this small Amazon village. What I didn't know or understand then was that God was going to use this place and these people to transform and shape me, to bless me and to teach me about His plan for the world and His plan for my life- as a follower of Christ, a teacher, and a friend. It's difficult to fully express how these things have happened, so much of it is caught up in my heart and mind and I struggle to outwardly convey what I want all of you to know, but I do know that one trip in 2005 sparked a call to serve others, not only oversees, but within my daily life. Talents, skills and passions that I had only begun to explore were brought to light and have continued to be grown and developed me during the past four years. It has only been the beginning to a beautifully difficult and revealing journey.

This trip will be my fourth trip to La Merced with Blackhawk Church, partnering with Food for the Hungry, an international development and relief NGO. Sometimes when I think about returning, I wonder if I'm being selfish, because I have close friends and amazing experiences awaiting me when we land. I'm excited to be reunited the FH staff and the people of the community. I have no idea if I will be helping or changing the world by returning. I am certain that this trip will refresh my soul and change my heart and so yes, selfishly, I await the realities, lessons, challenges, blessings and renewel that will come from God in the next few weeks. I am who I was created to be when I am in La Merced. There is no crap, no games, no hiding, nothing fake- ITS JUST ME. I thrist for that kind of freedom in my life here in Madison and I already pray I can learn to bring it back to this place, so I can also be fully me, fully confident and fully dependant on a God who provides and gives grace more than I can comprehend. May we all be able to share this prayer.

Along with that, I confess that I am scared. Not to travel or lead or translate in Spanish, but at the possibility of this being my last trip to La Merced. While that is not my plan for the future, as we wind down this community to community partnership it is a reality. As La Merced grows in their community leadership and long range sustainable planning for water and food, we must rejoice that goals set seven years ago are being met and that small cycles of hungry, disease, and poverty are being slowed down and lives changed. Praise God! But my messed up heart finds its way back to sadness and fear over saying goodbyes that could be final ones. If you know me well, you know that normal goodbyes can make me sad, so I ask you think of me and that I may have a peace and joy in knowing this little village will be taken care of and that my experiences and relationships have been of unsurmountable value.

So with that, I'm ready to go. We have planned and fund raised and asked God to go before us, and we are ready. Please follow us in the two weeks to come, we thank you for your continued support, thoughts and prayers.

Dios te bendiga,
laura