One Year in Peru!

Today I woke up and realized that today I complete one full year in Peru. (Check out the "Then and Now" pictures!) It’s a little hard to believe that the time has passed so quickly, even though each day passed by rather slowly. One year ago today I was on a plane headed toward the unknown, toward my future ministry not having a clue what to expect. I suppose that’s really how it goes in every part of life: the first day of school, the first day at a new job, the first day of marriage, the first day of being a parent. Well, after a year in Peru I feel completely different and not so different at all. I am a year older, I am more independent, I am closer to being bilingual. I’ve traveled and lived on my own, I have participated in spreading the gospel and fulfilling the great commission through loving, serving and discipling the people of Tarma. Yet I am still the same small girl that left home a year and a half ago. I am still that dreamer who loves laughter more than anything, the girl who yearns to do all that God has asked of her, the girl that loves her home in Lincoln.
I went back a year in my blog to see what I had written that first day in Peru, and I thought I would share it with you - - -

“On May 4th I flew from Dallas to Miami, then on to Lima and arrived in Peru at 10:00pm. I had so many people praying for me as I passed through customs, which always makes me a little nervous. In Peru they use this random traffic light system where, after you’ve picked up all of your luggage, you pass through another line until you reach this post with a red and a green light. You push the button and if the light shines green you can pass through and make your way to the airport exit. If the light shines red, you are escorted off to the side to have your luggage searched. Thank you all who were praying for a green light for me, because after packing my luggage to the brim, I was worried that if they searched through it at the airport, I wouldn’t get everything packed back into my suitcases :) But again, the little graces from our Lord – I received all of my luggage, (3 suitcases, a backpack and a computer case) loaded it up onto a cart, passed through the line and received a green light. Meredith McAllister my teammate was there waiting for me when I exited the airport, along with Bethany Leach, a short-term intern that has been with the mission for the past two months. We loaded my stuff into a taxi and made the journey back to the apartment I will be sharing with Meredith and our two Peruvian roommates for the next 2-3 months.
When I had informed Meredith of my flight details a month ago, she warned me that they had already planned on making the six hour trip to Tarma the day after I arrived. So long story short, I got “home” around 11:30pm Monday night, had time to repack my duffle, went to bed, and at 8:00am Tuesday we were on the bus to Tarma. I feel like “whirlwind” is the adjective I will use to describe these few days I have spent in Peru. We were in Tarma from Tuesday thru Thursday, meeting with the people Meredith has gotten to know from here many trips there, teaching English classes, and looking for leads on potential apartments. Because we didn’t have internet, it has taken me a lot longer to get my blog updated for you all. While it was crazy to arrive in this new country and right away make a three day trip six hours from Lima, I was really thankful for the chance to visit the city where our ministry will be focused. I quickly fell in love with this quaint little town that reminded me so much of Lincoln. Obviously the culture and appearance is about as different as you can get from Lincoln, but the size of the city, the small-town feel was a breath of fresh air after living in San Jose (population 1 million) and now Lima (population 9 million). I am excited to get settled and begin our ministry. The next few months will be transition months as little by little we get ourselves from here to there. We got back from Tarma Thursday around 4:30pm and the last couple of days have been spent getting acclimated to the city, meeting the pastors of the ADIEL (the Evangelical Free Churches of Lima), getting meetings set up and learning about the ministry. I will admit that these last couple of days has been information overload for me, but after this weekend things will settle down and hopefully I will be able to catch up with myself. Part of the problem is that Bethany Leach (the intern) has been living in the room that will be mine, but she doesn’t leave until next Tuesday to go back home – so I have been sleeping on the couch and living out of my suitcases. I tend to like to settle and organize myself, so until I can unpack and settle into my room – my brain and life feels cluttered and unorganized and it is harder for me to be at peace because I have this big thing that needs doing, but I can’t do it yet. Does that make any sense? Maybe I’m a little weird here.
Overall, the week has gone well, and quickly too. I am so thankful that I am finally in the place that I have talked about going for so long. God was and is so faithful to bring me every step of the way, to provide for my needs and to grace me with His love and affirmation. I look forward to keeping you posted (more regularly :)) on the coming weeks as I get more settled here. Thank you all for your many prayers and your emails of encouragement.”

So that was me a year ago, just starting out as a missionary in a foreign land. It is amazing how far God has brought me, and I know that it is only because of Him that I have made it to this day. It is because of Him and because of all of you who are continually praying for me and lifting me up to the Father. It is your faithful support, your emails and care packages. I am so thankful for all of you and I hope that I have done a decent job at helping you to feel more like an active part of this ministry. So how am I celebrating today? With BBQ Chili and cinnamon rolls! I’ve invited our close friends Denise and Martin to share a typical North American lunch with me and my team. Nothing like the taste of home to help celebrate surviving a year away from it! I know have 8 months left in Tarma and 9-10 months left in Peru. I have no doubt that God will remain faithful to the end.

In Him,
Bethany