Peru Reflection

Peru 2008. Ten days, 55 people, four airplanes, one bus, thousands of miles, one town, five houses, tons of dirt, one church and its passionate pastor, one man with a heart for the helpless, hundreds of hungry children, one incredible school, and countless memories. But if you were to ask anyone who went on the trip to describe it to you, they would have a hard time finding any words that capture the full essence of the experience. You would hear things like "it was an amazing experience" or "I miss the kids" or "the people were so nice" or "I wish we could go back." But none of those phrases really describe the trip or come close to communicating the depth of the experience.

In a world where the word "love" has become so commonplace it is easy to forget what love is or what it really looks like. But love seems to be the only word that really captures the essence of the Peru trip. The group that journeyed to Peru went with the intent of building houses and loving the people they met. They went to serve and give of themselves with no expectations of receiving anything in return. But God surprised them all by revealing himself to them through the smiles and hugs of children, the cups of Coke and Inca Kola handed out by the adults and the tears of thankful teenage soccer players. There is an incredible verse in 1 John that says that when we love each other, God's love is made complete in us. The team experienced a love that they had never experienced before. They experienced God's complete love through the selfless love of strangers.

It was through the love of the Peruvians that the Americans were able to see what really matters in life. They realized that material possessions do not bring true happiness. They gained a deeper understanding of faith through the faith of the children. Their Americanized view of love was pushed aside as they learned that love is all about putting someone else's needs above your own. Most of all though, the team learned that God can and will use anyone who is willing to take that first step.