When the rain falls

Even the weather knew it was time to say goodbye. It rained. For the first time in 10 days on the morning that I left, the sky opened.

Illegal wood trafficking on the river

I hate goodbyes. I hate the lead up to goodbyes, I hate the moment of goodbyes and I hate the afterwards of goodbyes. What do you gain by saying goodbye? You gain finalisation. And this is something I do not want.
It's too serious. It's easier to say 'hasta luego' 'until then', right? Because one day soon you hope to return. You've already made plans for the next visit, and you've already built the hopes' of the ones you've left. This is what I seem to do.

The teachers who I will miss so much 

Saying goodbye

Today I heard a little boy ask his mum, 'what is love?' Unfortunately I didn't hear her answer, but right now I will give you my own. Over my ten days in Pucallpa, I can say that I watched as the word love was defined. Through the lives of those on site, through the personal relationships between one another and through the work that brings constant smiles and laughter. Love was displayed.

Love is displayed.

My models 

 "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." 1 Corinthians 13

Oansa 

Stuck in juxtaposition between love and indifference, the children that come to these clubs experience both sides. And I stand on the side lines as both an observer and a player. I have choice. They don't. This is what breaks my heart. And yes I choose player for the ten days that I have, but then the departure date arrives and I'm gone. My life, my comfortable routines, the love from my family which I so often take for granted, they're calling me back. But I no longer want comfort, how can I go back after what I've seen? With every new day I see oppression. I hear of children being abandoned and I watch as the hardships of life play out on the people in front of me. There's too many things. So with this, I turned to God. Ecclesiastes. Within 10 minutes of reading, I had read every single one of my thoughts. It summed up perfectly everything that I had been feeling. 

The kids in homework club

Gorgeous 

I live in a world of things, where the luxury of hot water comes easily and opportunities are just a norm of life. Yet this world of objects and money, of ease and indulgence, it still strives for more. It wants the next thing before the first is even in reach. Satisfaction never comes. And this is where God's been challenging me: Live every moment in the moment. Enjoy what your life offers you rather than desiring what it doesn't. And don't wish the next moment before living out the first.

The Team - day trip down the river to a jungle beach 

1 Year and 2 Months Later

If you know me, you will have heard me talk about Peru. Whether it's just a passing comment or a detailed story, you will know that a stamp has been left on my heart. After over a year of waiting, I am finally back. The mountains I look down onto out of the oval plane window - they're not a mirage. The trees, the birds, the voices of children playing - it's really real.

Welcome to Peru  

As I sit in the house, I can hear a constant aaaaaaa coming through the mosquito netting windows from outside. It's homework club day and from the noise, I'm going to guess it's home / play time. Nothing's changed, really. The river's still the same, the sun continues to rise graciously and fall quickly, and the children always run to club with so much enthusiasm. Younger ones have moved from primeria to secondaria, and new little faces have joined the groups. The rest, it's the same. The same constant beauty that it was before, and the same unfair conditions that make me wonder why. Why are there extremes? Why do some have clean water and some don't? Why do some live in poverty and some in money? And why are some kids loved and some aren't? These are the questions that came to our minds at 5am while the sun slowly rose from the darkness. We didn't find answers and we still ask why. But even with these questions we know one thing - our God, who created the sun and stars and who knows our hearts so completely, loves us and wants us to come to him. He wants to walk with us through every day and through every situation that life throws at us.

Sun rise 

The 3 Musketeers 

"The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known… God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat." 
Psalm 19: 1-2, 4-6


There are four other young people staying onsite too which makes living here really fun. The day begins at 8am - eating breakfast with the kids. From there, various different clubs run throughout the morning and into late afternoon, leaving a block for lunch in the middle. While the activities are in action, Arianna - who for the past three weeks has been the site nurse - takes one child at a time and completes a full medical, scoring off various information on charts. When I use the term site nurse, I mean she is our doctor. She is the one who cleans up cuts, she is the one who wraps bandages around swollen arms, legs and fingers, and she is the one who noticed that a small nine year old girl had pneumonia. She saved her life.

The team (without Arianna) 

Arianna our nurse with Segundo 

Checking his teeth

God is working in this little village in Pucallpa and it is a privilege to share life and work alongside those who are here indefinitely. Please pray that the children would know Jesus and know that they are loved so enormously.