COVID-19 Week 1

It's been a while since I've posted here, but rather than make a long post on Facebook, I thought I'd revisit the ol' blog.  God really placed this on my heart to share, so I felt I needed to be obedient.

I honestly believe this time of 'quarantine' serves a deeper purpose.  A.W. Tozer said, "While it looks like things are out of control, behind the scenes there is a God who hasn't surrendered His authority."  To put this into context, the Monday night, I woke up every hour all night long; I kept having terrible dreams of people I know dying, people fighting over out-of-stock items, or myself being on a ventilator unable to breathe.  It was horrible, but then I saw the quote above on Tuesday.  I've slept like a baby ever since. 

You see, this time is scary, it's unique, and it's worrisome.  We're living a situation most of us have never witnessed.  We're not supposed to go out of our homes unless absolutely necessary, schools are closed, restaurants only serve to-go meals, and malls are empty.  I've always joked that I'd love a job I could do from home, but I never imagined I'd actually be teaching for an extended period of time from the comfort of my own home. 

Yesterday, while I was working I felt the Lord tell me to pray.  I kind of brushed it off, since I was in the middle of emailing some parents, but I couldn't focus on what I was doing.  Then I felt it again, but this time I felt the urge to get down on my knees and pray.  I'm ashamed to admit that I've not gotten down on my knees to pray since I graduated college when I knew I was called abroad to serve, but I really didn't know how to get there...that's been over 10 years ago.  I was hesitant at first, but I did it.

I started not even knowing what to pray for.  I prayed for those who are sick, I prayed for those who will become sick.  I prayed for protection over my loved ones and friends, and I prayed for our leaders to know how to handle this unique situation.  I prayed for my students and their families, too.  Then the words just started flowing...I prayed for an opportunity.  An opportunity for what?  I'm not sure, but I knew God wanted me to pray to be an instrument of Light during this time.  By this point, I knew this was the reason I was on my knees in prayer.

Javier and I have spent the last two afternoons outside working on the lawn, pulling up the weeds and mulch from the flowerbeds, and freshening up our outdoor space.  This time outside has allowed us to connect with some of our neighbors because everyone who walks by wants to see our dog, Orejas.

Then today it happened.  The older gentleman across the street was outside mowing his lawn.  I could tell he was struggling as he was going slowly and stopping every few feet.  I looked at Javier, and I told him he needed to go help the man, so he hesitantly went over and offered to finish mowing for him.  While Javier mowed, the man called me over to see if he could pet Orejas, so I took the dog over for a bit.  We talked, and I learned this man 63-year-old man lives alone, his children are far away, and he suffered a heart attack 2 weeks ago.  He should not have been mowing his lawn, but he knew it needed done, so he thought if he went slow, he'd be fine. While Javier mowed, I shared a little of my testimony...living in Peru, being a missionary, teaching, how Javier and I met, how we ended up in NC, etc. 

Mind you, Javier and I were supposed to go to Florida this weekend to see his "parents" from Canada, but with COVID-19 running rampant, that trip got canceled.  Had we gone, we might not have had the opportunity we had today. 

I'm confident, God has a bigger plan for this time of "quarantine".  I firmly believe this is a time for neighbors to help one another, families to come together, churches to grow deeper in His word and more (all while keeping an appropriate physical distance).  It's time for the church to be the church and rise up to help one another. 

Our church in Peru is having daily prayer times, our church here is live streaming services, and I know other churches are reaching the community in their own ways, too.  It's time to stop talking about attending church on Sunday, but it's time to rise up and show the love of Christ to those around us every day.

God already knew COVID-19 would happen before it did.  He knew it would spread like wildfire among all nations and peoples, and He has a plan behind it, too.  Don't waste this precious opportunity to be the Light to someone else.  

I Once Was Lost

Have you ever lost something so precious and important to you that it caused agony and pain at the thought that you may never find it?

I'm not one to lose things often (which is probably a good thing since my husband can never find anything), but for the last few weeks I have been unable to find the necklace my husband got me for our first anniversary (pictured below). As I searched everywhere I could imagine, purses, jewelry boxes, drawers, etc. I panicked at the thought of not finding it again. I was worried to tell my husband I'd lost it because I still remember his excitement when he gave it to me. And I even searched online to see how much it would cost me to replace it so that he would never find out. To my disappointment, I couldn't even find one like it online.

After nearly 2 weeks of searching, I gave up. I was certain I had either accidentally thrown it out the day I went through empty boxes of jewelry a few weeks ago, or that it had been accidentally placed in the donations bag we sent away for the victims of the mudslides that happened in March. \

Then today, something wonderful happened. While digging through the basket that I keep my nail polish in to find a specific color I haven't used in a while, I found the necklace lying at the bottom. I have no idea how it got there, but I almost cried with relief. And then I told my husband the whole story since he didn't even know it was lost in the first place.

As I rejoiced over my once lost, but now found necklace, a scene played over in my head from earlier this week. You see, I had told a friend about my dilemma and how I wasn't sure if I should tell Javier or not, and her response was not to tell him because he'd probably never notice. She went on to say that I have other nice necklaces she's seen me wear, so to just wear those. 

This comment didn't really mean that much to me at the time. I do have many other necklaces to wear, and I hadn't worn this specific one in over a month, so it could be a while before Javier even noticed that I wasn't wearing it. Yet, at the same time, I was filled with guilt having lost something so important to me, something Javier picked out on his own for our first anniversary - a Canadian diamond set in a sterling silver Canadian leaf because he loves Canada.

Now, having found the necklace, I am filled with relief and joy. You can bet I put it around my neck as soon as I found it, and I don't plan to take it off until I lay down to sleep tonight. 

I can't help but relate this situation to two parables from the Bible - The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and The Lost Son (Luke 15). Jesus uses all three parables to tell the story of the importance of one sheep, coin, or son repenting and the joy God feels at their repentance despite having many other followers already.

Luke 15:7 - I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not repent. 

Luke 15:32 - But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.

Even though followers of Christ can be found in many places around the globe, there is still work to be done, and God rejoices when even one person comes to believe and trust in Him. As excited as I was to find my necklace, I think God would feel even more joy hearing a new believer cry out his name.

We, Christians, have a lot of work to do. This world is rampant with pain, depression, sickness, hunger, poverty, war, and persecution. People need Jesus, and it our job to rise up and testify of His love and goodness. We are to go to the nations and share the Good News because He is coming back. Look around you, you don't need to go far to share the Gospel, no matter where you are, I'm certain someone nearby needs to hear about Jesus - your neighbor, a friend, a family member, the cashier at the grocery store, the elderly woman trying to cross the street, a classmate or even the garbage man. 

Just as I shared the good news of finding my necklace with my husband, we need to be just as excited (or more excited) to share Jesus with this dark and empty world. Rise up and shine His light!

Matthew 28:19 - Therefore, GO and MAKE disciples!

Peru - The Irony of the Water Crisis

PRAY FOR PERU!!

If you have been following my Facebook at all in recent days, you've probably noticed that Peru is in a serious crisis caused by heavy rains in the highlands which have created landslides throughout the nation. With rainfall reaching nearly ten times the normal amount, landslides are wreaking havoc throughout the highlands and the desert, coastal region.

Crops have been washed away, produce has been lost, more than 60 people have died, and thousands have been evacuated from their homes. Friends of ours are facing the clean-up of such destruction as their house was filled with nearly 3 feet of water, which has since begun to dry leaving clay-like mud on everything it touched.

Ironically, despite the excess rain that has fallen, there is a water shortage in the nation's capital of Lima. Because water is coming down from the mountains with high levels of dirt, branches, and garbage, the water plant is unable to keep up with the purification process. This has led to water being cut in homes throughout the capital for the past 4 days.

Free water distribution sites were set up around the city to give water for cleaning and flushing toilets. People lined the streets for hours waiting their turn to fill barrels and buckets with water. Drinking water is sold out nearly everywhere, and even the places that do have drinking water for sale have begun to charge double or triple the price and limit the quantity one can buy.

There are food shortages as produce has become limited and prices have sky rocketed. Some supermarkets have increased prices of produce more than five times their normal cost. The shelves are nearly empty of non-perishable items.

Preschool, elementary, high school, and university classes were cancelled throughout the nation Thursday and Friday, and they have also been suspended Monday and Tuesday. Some provinces have cancelled classes until April 3rd due to the prediction of more rain in the upcoming weeks.

My heart is broken, but God is teaching me a lesson in gratitude. Thankfully, in our home we have had water for a few hours each day. The pressure hasn't been great, but it's enough time to fill up buckets, wash the dishes, and bathe before it gets turned off again. I've taken a shower (if you can call it that) with a bucket for 3 days now as the water pressure isn't even strong enough to push the water through the shower.

However, yesterday as I was feeling frustrated with the water situation, I was nearly brought to tears by my brother-in-law who had to be evacuated from his home with only the clothes on his back due to the river that flooded the property of the mission where they live. His almost 2 year old son, oblivious to the situation, running around and playing with a smile on his face, and his wife remaining strong even when all she wanted to do was cry.

I was reminded to be thankful - thankful that my house has been unaffected except the lack of running water, thankful that even though the water has been inconsistent, it comes and goes just long enough to save some, thankful that my life has been relatively unaffected by the landslides, thankful that the days off of school gave me time to work on my Master's courses and get ahead on my lesson plans, and thankful that despite my husband's job being at high risk due to the rising sea levels, he has also been safe and unharmed.

It breaks my heart that those most affected are some off the poorest of the nation.  Many farmers have lost their crops, and some have lost animals in the landslides. Those closest to the rising rivers have lost their homes and nearly everything in them. House insurance is nearly non-existent in Peru, and aid isn't always available. My heart breaks for those affected.

I'll leave you with some pictures from the last week. (Most of these I have taken from Facebook and news websites. I hope I don't get in trouble for that!)

 Helicopters taking people from affected areas.

Woman carried away by the landslide escapes by grabbing debris and crawling to shore. 

A cow carried away by the landslides. They think it belongs to the woman above.

BCM (Bible Centered Missions) property after the river overflowed at 2 a.m. Thursday morning. Forty people had to be evacuated.  

The home of my brother-in-law and his family who serve as missionaries at BCM.

 People lined up with barrels and buckets to receive water.

People buying water at the supermarket on Thursday before it sold out and prices tripled.

A Heart Divided

It's been over a year since my last post.

Last year I didn't send newsletters like I had previously done either.

This year will be different...

One of my goals is to post on this blog once a month and another is to send out a newsletter quarterly. 

But that's not the reason for this post, so let's get to the point.

Recently, I've been asked by a variety of individuals both in the U.S. and here in Peru which place feels more like home. Honestly, I hate that question, and I still haven't been able to give a straight answer. Although, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to give a straight answer.

Merriam-Webster defines home as

• one's place of residence
• the social unit formed by family living together
• a familiar or usual setting
• a place of origin

Taking those meanings into consideration, the first leads me to believe that Peru is home, but the last would imply that Indiana is home. The second and third definitions could be applied to either location.

So what is home? In my opinion a home is what you make it to be. My home in Peru and the life I lead here is much different than my home in Indiana and the life I once lead there or the life I currently lead there during my yearly visits.

As I explained to a friend yesterday, Peru is like my grown-up home. It's where I work, have responsibilities, pay bills, take care of and do life with my husband, etc. But Indiana is my childhood home, my security blanket, my inner peace. When I visit Indiana I get to live in the "past" in some ways. Mom and dad let me stay in their house and take care of me while I'm there, I get to see friends I've known for ages, and overall things really haven't changed much.

Yet, at the same time, Indiana is starting to feel less like home each visit. Knowing that I'll probably never live there again (my husband hates the snow and cold weather), it's becoming more of a refuge to escape the lack of safety and the homesickness I feel in Peru, but in some ways I also feel as if I've begun to disconnect from many of the places and things that were once so near and dear to me.

This return trip to Peru has been the easiest adjustment back to life here I've had yet. Except for avoiding the grocery store for the first five days, I jumped right back into life, filling my schedule with friends, events at the children's home and time with my husband. Today was the first day I've sat home and relaxed since I got back six days ago. 

It's good to be back home, but I miss my other home, too. 

I firmly believe that here on Earth, I'll never again have just one home.

But I do look forward to the day when all my favorite people from both "homes" are with me in our eternal home in heaven. 

And because my heart is divided here on Earth, my heart aches to see my lost friends saved. It's hard to miss them during long (or short) periods of separation, but I can't imagine spending eternity without them.

Starbucks and the Heart of God

The title itself is quite an oxymoron, I know. But let me begin by saying, I'm not supporting Starbucks, but I do enjoy a nice Starbucks frappuccino once in a while. However, I'm also not supporting Christians who have nothing better to do with their time than complain about a disposable cup. I have to wonder, are these same Christians praying or sharing the gospel as much as they're complaining? And if they aren't, then quite frankly, I don't really want to hear their opinion on the color of a cup or the lack of holiday spirit.

This month Missions Month at my church here in Peru. Last week for the kick off, the young adults (feels weird saying that as I don't feel that old myself yet) came in at the beginning of the service carrying flags from varying countries and lined up along the walls of the auditorium. My eyes began to water and my throat tightened as I tried to keep myself from becoming a ball of weeping flesh in my seat.

As I sat there, eyes watering and lips quivering, I thought two things.
1. Why am I responding like this? They're just flags.
2. Am I doing enough? Am I where I'm supposed to be or is God calling me elsewhere?

Then, as the announcements ran and the pastor got up to speak, I began to think and respond to these questions.

1. I responded in this way because my heart is broken for this world. The sinful nature of humanity, the downward spiral even Christians are facing, hate for our brethren, judgement that should be left to God, hidden sins, pride...I could go on an on. Each of those flags represent people who are lost and dying. Each of those flags represent nations where missionaries are working to spread the Gospel, and some of those flags represent nations where the Gospel is forbidden, yet God has sent His chosen ones to go and discretely share the Word.

2. I don't think I am doing enough. So, God sent me to Peru as a teacher, but I should be doing more to share His message, too. What's the next step? It's no longer me who decides where God is calling me, but I have to convince my husband as well. What is he thinking? Are we called to be missionaries somewhere? Are we called to be more involved with a missions organization here?

Honestly, I know I'm not doing enough to be an ambassador of Christ. My last blog post is proof of that, and I can't say I've stepped up my game much since that post either. I also honestly believe that if God calls me to be a missionary somewhere, He'll give that calling to my husband as well. As far as being more involved in missions here in Peru, Javier and I have that talk on a regular basis. It's just so difficult with his schedule to both be highly involved somewhere. We're working on it though.

I've spent this week in earnest prayer for missionaries I know and miscellaneous missionaries around the world. I admire them and what they're doing, and I sometimes wish God had given me that call rather than calling me to be a teacher. But then I'm reminded that being a teacher is one of the greatest callings. It allows me to work with young minds, to shape their thinking and to set an example for them that they may not see elsewhere.

Then there's the Starbucks issue. While I'm over hear worrying about the spiritually dead around the world and praying for missionaries in places much worse than where I find myself, Christians in North America are in an uproar over a disposable cup. First world problems at their finest.

Okay, I get it; the so called "Holiday cup" lacks holiday decorations. But, would you say snowflakes and pine trees represent Christ more than a simple red cup does? As a friend stated tonight, "I don't think the snowflakes of years past had anything more to say about our sinful nature and our gift of a Savior than the color red." She also stated that the red color of the cup could be argued that it represents the cleansing blood of Christ spoken about in many church hymns.

Dear Brethren,

We're missing the bigger picture!! Wake up!! Open your eyes and look around you! While you're boycotting Starbucks and tweeting/posting about how awful they are for eliminating holiday decor from their cups, people are being killed around the world. Christians are being jailed and/or killed for their faith. Have you stopped to pray for them, or are you too busy telling everyone how awful Starbucks is for choosing a red design for their cups? What if they used their normal cups year round, would you complain about that, too? At least the cup is red, right? That must stand for something.

Are you worried about seeing your lost friends saved? Are you taking a stand for Christ and speaking out against sin in a loving way, or are you spreading hate to those who believe different than you? Have you stopped to consider that it's absolutely ridiculous to even think that someone who is not saved should support the Gospel or even find it necessary to have Christmas decorations? Why celebrate Christmas if you don't believe in Christ? Yeah, the gifts are nice, but I could buy the same gift for myself if I wanted.

The unsaved have no reason to think, believe, or act as Christians should. They don't know Christ, they don't know His redeeming power, and they don't know they are lost.

It's our job to get off our our high horses, leave judgement to the Lord, and start sharing the Gospel in a way that causes others to desire what we have. It's time to make a change in our thinking, to change our point of view and to put our priorities in order. We need to stop expecting non-believers to act like believers. It's time to stop spreading hate and to quit making Christianity distasteful to the lost. It's time to start making Jesus desirable and attractive. It's time to bring the Kingdom to the people and make them long for eternal life in heaven.

It's time to stop complaining about all the bad, but to be the positive change.

Yours truly,
Jessica


So in conclusion, think about your words and actions, pray for the lost, and go out and share the Gospel. The world is waiting for you!

1 Corinthians 2:14 - The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.


**Disclaimer: I am not perfect, and I have a long way to go before I am. I've written this post as much for myself as I have for you. Accept the challenge.

**Disclaimer: I am fully aware that Starbucks has made comments in the past contradictory to our Christian faith. I fully expect that; it's a company ran by non-Christians. I know that due to these previous comments, the removal of winter decorations from the cup comes as another sign that they are not for Christ. However, I will say it again - it's absolutely ridiculous to think that non-Christians should understand the importance of holiday decor when for them Christmas is just a day for gifts that most of them could by for themselves.