So here's a quick little highlight of the last couple weeks:
-4 day visit from Kathryn and Monica (two amazing ladies doing an awesome job collecting and telling the stories of YL in Latin America/Caribbean division).
-trip to Shell (Ivan), while Benji and I spent the week at home
-Ivan shared about urban evangelism in a class at the Nazarene Seminary in Quito
-a "quick" 16-hour drive round-trip to Cuenca for our friends' wedding
-2 weeks in Peru (hanging out with our Amazon Region and then playing tourists)
-hiking the Ilalo mountain with some friends from church
Praise God for safety and good health through all our travels and visits and adventures! Benjamin is the best travel buddy as he continues to smile and go with the flow, no questions asked (I'd say he does a much better job than me!). I realized that one of the keys to our smooth sailing with Benji has been having his "lamb" (stuffed animal) along. At home it has been used strictly for nap time and bed time but on the road and on the go it worked wonders at keeping him calm, happy, and able to fall asleep in ANY location. It was very dirty after several weeks of dragging it all over the place but I'll take a little dirt over a meltdown any day! Nothing a good wash can't fix ;)
We had the honor of attending our dear friends' wedding and we jumped in wherever needed. Myself and our our friend Allison helped keep things in order (somewhat). There was one point in the reception when one of the servers came over to my table and asked if I was in charge of the event! Whoops...maybe a little too much "Teacher Hahn" coming out! Ivan jumped in and helped MC when needed and Benjamin kept everyone smiling. 24 hours later we were in the airport ready to head to Lima, Peru for the annual Amazon Region conference.
Our region is made up of: Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia. It's always a wonderful time to get together and share our hearts as well as grow. This year we didn't talk statistics and numbers. The focus was on the more important part: the state of our hearts and our personal walk with God. I really appreciated that. Sometimes I get caught up in all the numbers (because that's what I do every day...) but to remember that the more important work is unseen, in my own heart. Am I growing? Am I experiencing what we tell kids about all the time? Christ's unconditional love. It was a special trip because we also were able to celebrate the 50th anniversary of YL in Peru! There was a special dinner/event and it was so inspiring to hear the stories of those who were there when it all began and to also see the legacy they left behind. It excites me to think about one day an event in Ecuador celebrating such a milestone and being able to look back and see generations impacted and the testimonies that will be shared. It felt like I was in a room full of spiritual giants. Wow!
Once the conference ended, we spent some extra time in Peru to meet up with a friend in another area of the country and together we played tourists and explored Huacachina (an oasis in the desert) and the Paracas Islands (that have some wildlife similar to that of the Galapagos Islands). Our final day in Peru we took a taxi, a boat ride, bus ride and finally the flight home. It was quite the adventure. It felt good to sleep in my own bed again and to have child-proof areas to let Benji be free (and mom and dad to rest!). While I enjoyed seeing new places and hanging out with our regional team, I am a homebody at heart. Nothing brings me peace quite like stepping into my home at the end of the day.
October is not to be out done by September's full schedule. We've got more travels, visits, and stories to share! So stay tuned for more!
We had the honor of attending our dear friends' wedding and we jumped in wherever needed. Myself and our our friend Allison helped keep things in order (somewhat). There was one point in the reception when one of the servers came over to my table and asked if I was in charge of the event! Whoops...maybe a little too much "Teacher Hahn" coming out! Ivan jumped in and helped MC when needed and Benjamin kept everyone smiling. 24 hours later we were in the airport ready to head to Lima, Peru for the annual Amazon Region conference.
Our region is made up of: Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia. It's always a wonderful time to get together and share our hearts as well as grow. This year we didn't talk statistics and numbers. The focus was on the more important part: the state of our hearts and our personal walk with God. I really appreciated that. Sometimes I get caught up in all the numbers (because that's what I do every day...) but to remember that the more important work is unseen, in my own heart. Am I growing? Am I experiencing what we tell kids about all the time? Christ's unconditional love. It was a special trip because we also were able to celebrate the 50th anniversary of YL in Peru! There was a special dinner/event and it was so inspiring to hear the stories of those who were there when it all began and to also see the legacy they left behind. It excites me to think about one day an event in Ecuador celebrating such a milestone and being able to look back and see generations impacted and the testimonies that will be shared. It felt like I was in a room full of spiritual giants. Wow!
Once the conference ended, we spent some extra time in Peru to meet up with a friend in another area of the country and together we played tourists and explored Huacachina (an oasis in the desert) and the Paracas Islands (that have some wildlife similar to that of the Galapagos Islands). Our final day in Peru we took a taxi, a boat ride, bus ride and finally the flight home. It was quite the adventure. It felt good to sleep in my own bed again and to have child-proof areas to let Benji be free (and mom and dad to rest!). While I enjoyed seeing new places and hanging out with our regional team, I am a homebody at heart. Nothing brings me peace quite like stepping into my home at the end of the day.
October is not to be out done by September's full schedule. We've got more travels, visits, and stories to share! So stay tuned for more!
1 comment:
Such wonderful answers to many years of prayers.Wonderful to beable to partner in prayer.
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